EHN calls to protect children from the marketing of nutritionally poor food

The European Union (EU) must adopt legislation to effectively protect children from the harmful impacts of the widespread, ubiquitous and insidious marketing of nutritionally poor food.

This Call to protect children from the marketing of nutritionally poor food comes from a coalition of 20 European health, medical, consumer, child and family organisations, including the European Heart Network.  It accompanies the launch of a Blueprint EU Directive, showing how the EU can use its powers to effectively regulate cross-border marketing.

Core provisions of the Directive include:

• Define as a ‘child’ any person below the age of 18;
• End the marketing of nutritionally poor food between 6am and 11pm on broadcast media, including television and radio;
• End the marketing of nutritionally poor food on digital media, including social media and video sharing platforms;
• End the sponsorship of events, such as sports events or festivals, with cross-border effects unless brands can prove that such sponsorship is not associated with nutritionally poor food;
• End the use of marketing techniques appealing to children for the promotion of nutritionally poor food, including on food packages. It also cover the use of influencers;
• Use the World Health Organization Europe nutrient profile model to define what is ‘nutritionally poor food’.

More info on this directive and on this call via this link.