Food advertising to children
16 March 2007
A few weeks ago, OFCOM at last published the results of its extended consultation on the TV content and scheduling restrictions for food ads targeted at children. BCAP has incorporated the new restrictions in its TV Code and CAP is considering the changes it will make to the CAP Code.
The changes to the TV restrictions are by now well known to all those involved in food and soft drink advertising. If not, they should be. BCAP and the BACC have in the last month or so conducted training sessions for the industry and explained the new rules and their likely implications. If you have not managed to attend one of those events, you can view a webcast of the BCAP Advice:am seminar held at BAFTA in Piccadilly on 28 February.
OFCOM is considering BCAP’s proposed new restrictions for radio advertisements directed to children and we await its conclusions. CAP has committed to transposing to non-broadcast media the TV content restrictions that BCAP had proposed to OFCOM. But OFCOM announced TV content rules that differed from those proposed by BCAP, notably by incorporating differentiation between so-called “healthy” foods, as determined by the Food Standards Agency’s Nutrient Profiling model, and HFSS foods, also as determined by the FSA NP model. Now the OFCOM decision is known, CAP is considering its position.
The Committee has consulted its members and has received a submission from public interest organisations represented on the Department of Health Food and Drink Advertising and Promotion Forum; we expect a decision very soon. For new restrictions in non-broadcast media to take effect, after a three-month period of grace, at the same time as the TV content restrictions become fully implemented on 1 July, the CAP Code changes will have to be published by 1 April.
(The CAP Code does not, of course, cover all ads that are not subject to the BCAP TV and Radio Codes. The Department of Health’s Forum is considering how restrictions can be applied beyond the coverage of the CAP and BCAP Codes.)
So, expect a special Update@CAP e-mail about the new restrictions for non-broadcast media in the next couple of weeks.