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Dec 2005 - Food labelling and advertising to young children |
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The CFAC (Coalition on Food Advertising for Children) has highlighted a number of recent activities surrounding the issue of food labelling, food advertising to young children, and the general health and nutrition issues that relate to this.
Food advertising survey
Young Media Australia is conducting a survey about the impact of television food advertising on young children. The survey is available online until 15 December 2005 and is to be completed by parents of three- to five-year-old children.
It collects information about:
- when TV is watched by three- to five-year-old children, and their exposure to food advertisements;
- who chooses or influences what they watch on TV; and
- parents' views about the impact of food advertising on their children's eating preferences and purchase requests.
To access the survey, go to the Young Media Australia website
Media activity
The Four Corners program on the ABC did an excellent overview of the childhood ‘obesity crisis', and food advertising was very prominent in this story. The transcript of the program is available at the ABC website.
The CFAC Review of Children's Television Standards has written to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) – who have responsibility for the Children's Television Standards – to urge for a review of the standards, in particular recommending the introduction of new standards addressing the advertising of unhealthy foods to children, so that a ban is enforceable.
For a full copy of the letter, contact Kathy Chapman
The Parents Jury have developed a section on their website on ‘Junk Food Free Kids TV'
The section outlines how parents can advocate for junk-food-free children's television and provides simple ways to address persuasive junk food advertising in their home.
The Australian Consumer's Association Choice magazine contains an article outlining ‘the seven deadly sins of food labels' – techniques manufacturers use to persuade us that their products are what we want.
The article ‘Food labels: 7 deadly sins' is available online.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 12 December 2005 )
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