*Updated* WHO recommendations on marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children

*Update* 21 May 2010

The WHO Recommendations on the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children were approved during the World Health Assembly, 17-21 May 2010. A small change has however been made to recommendation 3: "To achieve this objective, Member States should consider different approaches, i.e. stepwise or comprehensive, to reduce the marketing of foods high in saturated fats, trans fatty acids, free sugars, or salt, to children".

The responsability now falls upon Member States to take the necessary measures to implement the recommendations and to monitor and evaluate their progress.

The cross-border effects of food marketing, and more particularly advertising of unhealthy food, threaten already in place legislation in some WHO member states. As certain national practices spread, a set of recommendations on the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children has been prepared by the WHO in order to promote responsible marketing.

The set consists of 12 recommendations divided into policy development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and research:

 The policy aim should be to reduce the impact of marketing of foods high in saturated fats, trans-fatty acids, free sugars, or salt on children.

 The overall policy objective should be to reduce the exposure of children to marketing of foods high in saturated fats, trans fatty acids, free sugars, or salt.

 To achieve this objective, Member States should consider different approaches, i.e. stepwise and comprehensive, to reduce the marketing of foods high in saturated fats, trans fatty acids, free sugars, or salt, to children

 Governments should set clear definitions for the key components, taking into account specific national challenges, thereby allowing for a standard implementation process

 Settings where children gather (nurseries, schools, school grounds and pre-school centres, playgrounds, family/child clinics and paediatric services, and duringany sporting or cultural activities held on these premises) should be free from all forms of marketing of foods high in saturated fats, trans fatty acids, free sugars, or salt

 Governments should be the key stakeholders in the development of policy and provide leadership, through a multistakeholder platform, for implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

 Considering resources, benefits and burdens of all stakeholders involved; any approach selected should be set within a framework developed to achieve the policy objective

 Member States should cooperate to put in place the means necessary to reduce the impact of cross-border marketing (inflows and outflows) of foods high in saturated fats, trans fatty acids, free sugars, or salt to children in order to achieve the highest possible impact of any national policy

 The policy framework should specify enforcement mechanisms and establish systems for their implementation (clear definitions of sanctions and a system for reporting complaints)

 The policy framework should include a monitoring system to ensure compliance with the objectives set out in the national policy, using clearly defined indicators

 The policy framework should also include a system to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of the policy on the overall aim, using clearly defined indicators

 Member States should identify existing information on the extent, nature and effects of food marketing to children in their country.

The recommendations are annexed to a secretariat report to be presented to the Executive Board in January 2010. The Executive Board is requested to "consider" the report. The content of the recommendations will not be discussed. The report will then be passed to the World Health Assembly in 2010 for final adoption.

For further information:

 The WHO full Report: "Prevention and control of non communicable diseases: implementation of the full strategy"

EPHA related articles:

 Advertising “unhealthy” food to children
 Marketing food and beverages to children: findings from the PolMark project
 EPHA position on Marketing Communication
 Marketing of food and non-alcoholic beverages to children
 Marketing to Children: Analysing the Federal Trade Commission’s Landmark Food Marketing Study