Reduce the impact of marketing aimed at children (Indicator 23)
Updated
The indicator describes the following: Policies to reduce the impact on children of the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages high in saturated fats, trans fatty acids, free sugars or salt.
Results
Norway has a self-regulatory scheme for the marketing of food and drink aimed at children. In addition to the self-regulatory scheme, certain aspects of marketing aimed at children and youth are regulated through other legislation, such as the Broadcasting Act, the Marketing Control Act and the Food Act.
Within the National Action Plan for a Healthier Diet (2017-2021) there is an action point to follow up on the work related the marketing of food and drink aimed at children. The period of the Action Plan has been extended to 2023.
Self-regulation scheme
In 2013, the Norwegian food and drink sector, in agreement with the authorities, developed an enhanced self-regulation scheme for the marketing of food and drink aimed at children. This scheme replaced a previous voluntary scheme and came into force on 1 January 2014.
The business sector established the Food and Drink Industry Professional Practices Committee (MFU) which monitors compliance with the guidelines and enforces penalties for violations. A website has been created which includes a complaints form, see: www.mfu.as.
MFU’s goal is to prevent the marketing of certain types of food and drink aimed at children under the age of 13. In addition, due diligence in marketing to youth under 16 is specified from 2019. MFU’s structure comprises a secretariat, a board and a professional committee. The Norwegian Directorate of Health represents the authorities in the professional committee.
Monitoring the scheme
In connection with the introduction of the new scheme, it was announced that the MFU would be in effect for two years after which the scheme would be evaluated. The Norwegian Directorate of Health was commissioned by the Ministry of Health and Care Services to carry out the evaluation. In January 2017, the Norwegian Directorate of Health submitted its evaluation to the Ministry of Health and Care Services.
The evaluation highlighted both strengths and weaknesses in relation to the scheme. The Norwegian Directorate of Health recommended a dialogue between the authorities and the sector about how the input on improvements presented by the evaluation could be addressed by the self-regulation scheme. Dialogue with other interested parties was also recommended. In 2019 the MFU scheme was evaluated by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health as requested by the Ministry of Health and Care Services. The evaluation provided proposals for the Ministry of Health and Care Services on discussion points for adjustments of the scheme to address the business sector.
In 2023, the Ministry of Health and Care Services and the Ministry of Children and Families have set up a working group to investigate and propose measures to better protect children against the marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages. In June 2023, a majority in the Norwegian Parliament voted for a ban on the marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages aimed at anyone under the age of 18. The Government was asked by the Parliament to legislate such a ban the same year.
International collaboration
Norway, through the Norwegian Directorate of Health, has led and been the secretariat for the WHO European Action Network on Reducing Marketing Pressure on Children during the period 2008-2015, and continues to participate actively in the network.
A Nordic protocol has been developed (2016) in order to conduct a survey of the marketing of unhealthy food and drink aimed at children and youth. Norway has had project management. The Nordic protocol has been used as the basis for the survey of marketing of food aimed at children (2016) as a component of the evaluation of the self-regulatory scheme.
Marketing of food aimed at infants and toddlers
WHO and UNICEF have documented how parents and pregnant women globally are exposed to aggressive marketing for breast milk substitutes and how marketing of these products influences decisions on infant feeding and undermines breastfeeding. (How the marketing of formula milk influences our decisions on infant feeding.)
Breastmilk and breastfeeding are of great importance for infant and maternal health, respectively. In Norway, marketing of breast milk substitutes and other food products for infants and young children is regulated by EC regulations. These regulations only partially cover the recommendations in the World Health Organization’s International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes. Digital marketing of breast milk substitutes is a significant problem because it is not fully covered by either the regulations or the Code. There is a need for clarification of the regulations, as well as more restrictive policies. Cross promotion is an example of a widely used marketing strategy that should be more strictly regulated.
WHA 69.9 (Guidance on ending the inappropriate promotion of foods for infants and young children) has clarified that the Code applies to all milk that is specifically marketed to feed infants and young children up to the age of 3 years. According to WHA 69.9., foods for infants and young children that are not products that function as breast-milk substitutes should only be promoted if they meet all the relevant national, regional and global standards for composition, safety, quality and nutrient levels, and are in line with national dietary guidelines. To date, this has not been implemented in the EC regulations or in Norway.
Global indicator definition
Indicator 23: Policies to reduce the impact on children of the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages high in saturated fats, trans fatty acids, free sugars, or salt.