This month, a national panel of experts convened by Healthy Eating Research, a program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, will release Expert Recommendations for Responsible Food Marketing to Children, a comprehensive set of model definitions for food marketing practices directed to children.  They are intended to provide guidance to a broad range of stakeholders, including food and beverage manufacturers, retailers, restaurant companies, media and entertainment companies, industry trade associations, advertisers, marketers, government agencies, regulators and other policymakers, advocates, and researchers.



In 2009, Congress directed the Federal Trade Commission, Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Department of Agriculture, to establish an Interagency Working Group on Food Marketed to Children to develop a set of guidelines for responsible food marketing to children, including clarifying what communications constitute marketing directed to children.  However, before the Interagency Working Group could issue its final recommendations, it was disbanded under intense industry lobbying.



While self-regulation has resulted in the first-ever declines in unhealthy food marketing to children, kids still are exposed to too much marketing for unhealthy foods and beverages.  One key reason that self-regulation is not more effective is that food and entertainment companies define food marketing to children too narrowly.  The HER marketing definitions and recommendations apply to all forms of food marketing to children 14 years and under.



Please mark your calendar for these online events the week of the Expert Recommendations’ release:



Tuesday, January 20:

2-2:45 pm EST Expert Recommendations for Responsible Food Marketing to Children Webinar

You may register for the webinar in advance by clicking on this link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6450015947174370050



2:45-3:30 pm EST Food Marketing Workgroup Briefing on the Expert Recommendations

Members of the Food Marketing Workgroup, the National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity, health professionals, and advocates can email [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> to register for this briefing call and get the call-in instructions.



Wednesday, January 21:

3-4 pm EST Tweet chat to discuss the Expert Recommendations

Join a conversation on Twitter about the Expert Recommendations by following @CSPI and using hashtag #Marketing2Kids.





Jessica Almy

Senior Nutrition Policy Counsel

Center for Science in the Public Interest

Direct line: 202.777.8358