Bite Back slams manufacturers for marketing HFSS foods to children

Mondelez, Kellanova, Mars, Nestlé, Unilever, PepsiCo and Ferrero have been called out for marketing unhealthy products to children.

Youth-led charity campaign group Bite Back analyzed 262 products thought to appeal to children from 10 companies.

Whether or not the packages were attractive to children was assessed based on a set framework of 18 techniques used by manufacturers.

These techniques include displaying a product’s unconventional color, shape, or flavor on the package; the use of cartoons and licensed characters or celebrities on the packaging; and the presence of games or activities.

For example, Mondelez’s Cadbury Curly Wurly Squirlies were deemed to appeal to children due to the “unusual shape” of the treat and the phrase “bags of fun” on the packaging. Nestlé’s Kit Kat Cereal is also said to appeal to children because they used “the popular and highly recognizable Kit Kat brand” to create an unconventional cereal flavor.

Bite Back found that for seven of the ten manufacturers included in the analysis, most of their child-appealing products were HFSS.

Mondelez was “one of the worst offenders,” the report claimed. Of the 58 products considered to be attractive to children, all were HFSS.

Similarly, the report found that all 22 child-appealing products it analyzed from Ferrero were HFSS.

Ninety-seven percent (30) of Mars’ child-appealing products were HFSS, compared to 86% (25) of PepsiCo’s and 78% of Kellanova’s.

The report shows that 59% (10) of Unilever’s child-friendly packaging is unhealthy, compared to 56% (33) of Nestlé’s.

“Once again, Bite Back shows how brands are actively using marketing tactics to target children,” said Jamie Oliver, celebrity chef and co-founder of Bite Back.

“Whether it’s fun characters, bright images or exciting new shapes, these enthusiastic companies choose them because they know they will captivate young minds.”

A spokeswoman for Mondelez told The Grocer: “We disagree with the report’s characterization of our products, many of which have been enjoyed in Britain for generations.

“Bite Back has used extremely broad criteria in its evaluation, which are highly open to interpretation.”

A spokeswoman for Mars said: “As the company behind some of Britain’s best-loved brands, we recognize that we have a responsibility to ensure that our consumers can enjoy our products as a treat and as part of a healthy and balanced diet. diet.

“A big part of this is our commitment to empowering young people to do the right thing – we launched our Responsible Marketing Code in 2007 to ensure all our marketing meets UK requirements, as well as our industry-leading Global Marketing Code.”

A Nestlé spokeswoman said: “We share many of Bite Back’s ambitions, but this report on child appeal is basic, subjective and provides an inconclusive analysis that creates confusion about the healthiness of food.”

Meanwhile, a PepsiCo spokeswoman said the manufacturer “has been a leader in developing healthier products and taking a responsible approach to marketing and advertising for nearly two decades.

“In 2007, we made a voluntary decision not to advertise products under 16 years of age that are classified as HFSS in any media. All our marketing activities are carefully reviewed to ensure compliance.”

The grocer has reached out to Kellanova, Unilever and Ferrero for comment.