Food marketing is no child’s play

It appears Ottawa is doing everything it can these days to make things more complicated for consumers and increase costs for industry. These costs are often hidden from taxpayers and consumers, but we still bear the burden of paying extra at the grocery store. Case in point is Bill C–252, which would amend the Food and Drugs Act to prohibit food and beverage marketing directed at children. On the surface, this seems like a critical thing for a government to do. Influential food marketing to children can be harmful over time. The science has been very clear on this issue for years now. Protecting our children should be a priority for all governments, full stop. But what needs to be underscored is the fact that a policy is already in place to protect our children. The food industry launched the new Code for the Responsible Advertising of Food and Beverage Products to Children in mid-2021. With implementation slated for July 1, this is a code few know about, but it has become a credible road map in advertising to effectively protect our children. Sylvain Charlebois is a well-known Canadian academic, researcher, and author, with expertise in food distribution, security, and safety. Photograph courtesy of Sylvain Charlebois The code is largely inspired by Quebec’s model for prohibiting advertising to children that has been in place for more than 40 years. The code allows all our country’s advertisers to work within a comprehensive and workable set of restrictions for advertising to children under 13 years of age in any media that meet or exceed Health Canada’s guidelines. The code also requires all food and beverage advertising to undergo a pre-release review by Ad Standards Canada, an independent, not-for-profit organization that has been ensuring responsible and ethical advertising in Canada for over 60 years. Canadians’ distrust towards self-regulating initiatives and industry is legendary. It’s even worse for Health Canada although the World Health Organization has recognized that industry self-regulation with government support can work to protect children. With the support of Ad Standards Canada, the code intends to regulate all advertisers in the entire country. In essence, Bill C-252 is providing a solution to a problem which doesn’t exist. While providing public oversight and forcing industry to comply with a new set of regulations would be essential, these measures would end up costing taxpayers and consumers more. Ineffective regulations have historically led to more costs and higher prices, especially in an environment where margins are razor-thin. A recent study published by Georgetown University in September 2022 found that attempts to influence consumer purchases and consumption of certain food products through a one-size-fits-all approach, such as food marketing restrictions, leads to ineffective policies. With Bill C-252, more restrictions will suppress investments in the food industry, lessen competition, increase costs and raise food prices. This is not what Canadians need, especially not right now. However, regarding children’s health, our country does have another urgent problem. Instead of focusing on food advertising towards children, physical fitness and mental health for our youth should be on our government’s wish list for 2023. The 2022 ParticipACTION Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth gave an overall physical activity grade of D to Canadian children and youth. Only 28 per cent of them meet the physical activity recommendations within the 24-Hour Movement Guideline for Children and Youth. These are alarming numbers. The need to tackle the negative effects of sedentary behaviour and minimal physical activity is a public policy challenge certainly deserving the government’s attention. The government could focus on establishing the necessary conditions to promote physical activity among children and youth to complement the industry’s code. We all recognize that children are our society’s most precious treasures. We need to take care of them and protect them. One way to achieve this is to make sure they have access to proper nutrition and motivating conditions to lead healthier lifestyles. There is no need for governments to step in and usurp the power of parents by imposing food marketing restrictions to children. In fact, Ottawa’s newly introduced front-of-package-labelling rule that will come into effect in a few years from now will effectively inform parents on which food products have too much sugar, fat, or sodium at the point of purchase. Brilliant. That was a good move on Ottawa’s part. Bill C-252, on the other hand, will only make the government feel good about itself while accomplishing nothing, other than making our food more expensive. Sylvain Charlebois is a well-known Canadian academic, researcher, and author, with expertise in food distribution, security, and safety. He currently serves as senior director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab and professor at Dalhousie University. He is also the co-host of the top-rated podcast called The Food Professor. The Hill Times