The noose is tightening on the junk food industry globally.
Treating foods high in fat, salt and sugar in the same way as tobacco and alcohol may sound like an extreme solution to fight the adverse health effects of junk food, but that direction is where the world is heading.
In California, the iconic Happy Meal of McDonald's doesn't come with a free toy anymore. This is because the law prohibits dishing out freebies to kids with unhealthy food.
Instead, the food chain offers apple slices, reduced portion of French fries and a choice of beverage, including fat-free chocolate milk in place of the default cola.
A desperate food industry is taking pre-emptive action to prevent more such regulations in other parts of the US and the rest of the world.
All its efforts are now focused on two key strategies. First is the so-called voluntary action, such as restricting advertising aimed at children and to position food products as 'healthy'. The second strategy is more sinister - somehow shift the blame of the obesity epidemic on growing physical inactivity.
On both counts, the industry response is half-hearted. For instance, the India Pledge announced by seven food and beverages companies in July 2010 to implement "company specific voluntary measures on food and beverage advertising to children" by December 2010.
The companies pledged not to advertise "food and beverage products to children under the age of 12 on TV, print or the Internet".
The devil lies in the details. "Advertising to children under 12 years" was defined as "advertising to media audiences where at least half are children under the age of 12".
Nobody knows how to determine audiences where 50 percent viewers are below 12.
The Pledge, in practice, leaves the door wide open for both advertising and promotion to children like before. Kids continue to be targeted both in commercials as well as direct marketing.
A related issue is that of food labelling which can be a means to enabling consumers to make healthy choices while purchasing food products.
While nutritional labelling on product packs has been made mandatory in India, manufacturers are allowed to make health-related claims in advertising since there are no codes or restrictions on advertising of junk foods on TV or in print.
In every television commercial of a processed food product - be it noodles, pasta, pickle, cookies, cheese, cooking oil - the imagery and the message are designed to portray that it is a "healthier substitute" for home made and traditional food.
Product placement in TV serials and movies is an extensively used advertising tool by these companies. Junk food makers are also free to market products in schools.
In a clever move designed to add the "health" tagline to their brands, food companies are aggressively hiring the organisations of health professionals to endorse their products.
Some of these are existing associations of doctors, while others are floated by food companies solely for endorsements and "education campaigns".
Two years ago, PepsiCo crossed all ethical boundaries in the endorsement game by signing up with the Indian Medical Association (IMA) - a professional body of Indian doctors - to put its seal of approval on its some of its non-carbonated sugary drinks.
It is high time that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) woke up and initiated pro-active action on food labelling and standards.
Treating foods high in fat, salt and sugar in the same way as tobacco and alcohol may sound like an extreme solution to fight the adverse health effects of junk food, but that direction is where the world is heading.
In California, the iconic Happy Meal of McDonald's doesn't come with a free toy anymore. This is because the law prohibits dishing out freebies to kids with unhealthy food.
Instead, the food chain offers apple slices, reduced portion of French fries and a choice of beverage, including fat-free chocolate milk in place of the default cola.
A desperate food industry is taking pre-emptive action to prevent more such regulations in other parts of the US and the rest of the world.
All its efforts are now focused on two key strategies. First is the so-called voluntary action, such as restricting advertising aimed at children and to position food products as 'healthy'. The second strategy is more sinister - somehow shift the blame of the obesity epidemic on growing physical inactivity.
On both counts, the industry response is half-hearted. For instance, the India Pledge announced by seven food and beverages companies in July 2010 to implement "company specific voluntary measures on food and beverage advertising to children" by December 2010.
The companies pledged not to advertise "food and beverage products to children under the age of 12 on TV, print or the Internet".
The devil lies in the details. "Advertising to children under 12 years" was defined as "advertising to media audiences where at least half are children under the age of 12".
Nobody knows how to determine audiences where 50 percent viewers are below 12.
The Pledge, in practice, leaves the door wide open for both advertising and promotion to children like before. Kids continue to be targeted both in commercials as well as direct marketing.
A related issue is that of food labelling which can be a means to enabling consumers to make healthy choices while purchasing food products.
While nutritional labelling on product packs has been made mandatory in India, manufacturers are allowed to make health-related claims in advertising since there are no codes or restrictions on advertising of junk foods on TV or in print.
In every television commercial of a processed food product - be it noodles, pasta, pickle, cookies, cheese, cooking oil - the imagery and the message are designed to portray that it is a "healthier substitute" for home made and traditional food.
Product placement in TV serials and movies is an extensively used advertising tool by these companies. Junk food makers are also free to market products in schools.
In a clever move designed to add the "health" tagline to their brands, food companies are aggressively hiring the organisations of health professionals to endorse their products.
Some of these are existing associations of doctors, while others are floated by food companies solely for endorsements and "education campaigns".
Two years ago, PepsiCo crossed all ethical boundaries in the endorsement game by signing up with the Indian Medical Association (IMA) - a professional body of Indian doctors - to put its seal of approval on its some of its non-carbonated sugary drinks.
It is high time that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) woke up and initiated pro-active action on food labelling and standards.
No comments:
Post a Comment