BATH, England — CEOs from some of the world's leading food and non-alcoholic beverage companies, plus members of the International Food & Beverage Alliance (IFBA), have unveiled enhanced global commitments in the field of food and non-alcoholic beverage marketing to children.
The commitments form part of a broader package of measures sent in a letter to World Health Organization director general Dr Margaret Chan, which will guide companies' health and wellness strategies over the coming years.
Based on recommendations from the World Health Organisation as well as national governments and other organisations designed to improve global health, the package includes a commitment to product reformulation and innovation, as well as a common global approach to the provision of nutrition information on-pack, at point of sale and through other channels by the end of 2016.
It also includes an expansion of IFBA's global marketing policy, in place since 2009, which specified that members would only advertise products that meet 'better-for-you' criteria or refrain from all product marketing to children under 12 years old.
The policy covers TV, print, schools, the internet and company-owned websites. The enhanced 2014 policy strengthens the policy in three core areas: