Food Companies Supboened for Data About Advertising to Children

Nearly 50 companies, from Chiquita to Coca-Cola, are under scrutiny for food marketing to kids. Whether they comply with the Federal Trade Commission request or not, however, is only one part of the story.

September 9, 2010 at 12:24PM by Marion Nestle | comment

OK, so "begging" isn’t quite the right word. The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) has issued subpoenas to 48 food companies demanding information about their marketing practices aimed at children. (Editor's note: Among those subpoenaed were Chiquita, Dole, Fresh Del Monte, Campbell Soup, Coca-Cola, Kraft Foods and McDonald's.)

The FTC tried this once before and issued a report in 2008 based on the information it received. But companies were not exactly forthcoming with the data. In the present political climate, they will foot-drag this time too.

According to ThePacker.com, the FTC is asking for asked for nutritional data on the companies’ products as well as marketing information by December 1.

Food companies have come under heightened scrutiny in recent years amid concern that their advertising and promotions encourage unhealthy eating habits and contribute to childhood obesity. In the 2008 report, the FTC recommended that companies that market foods or beverages to children under the age of 12 adopt "meaningful, nutrition-based standards for marketing their products." The FTC also recommended that companies improve the "nutritional profiles" of products marketed to children and cease in-school promotion of products that do not meet nutritional standards.

The FTC is quoted as saying that none of this is expected to lead to new regulations. I guess the FTC is trying to do what it can under challenging circumstances.

But let me ask again: where is the FTC’s long-awaited report on nutrition standards for marketing products to kids? If it can’t even get that report out, can the new subpoenas do any good?

Note: The Daily Green added the quote from The Packer.

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tags: food marketing to children, food marketing to kids, food advertising to children, food marketing, food advertising to kids, junk food marketing

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Marion Nestle

Noted author Marion Nestle is a Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University. She is the author of What to Eat.
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