Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jn8rn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T11:10:27.689Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Food Marketing to — and Research on — Children: New Directions for Regulation in the United States

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 November 2022

Jennifer L. Pomeranz
Affiliation:
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK, NY, USA
Dariush Mozaffarian
Affiliation:
TUFTS UNIVERSITY, MEDFORD, MA, USA

Abstract

As countries around the world work to restrict unhealthy food and beverage marketing to children, the U.S. remains reliant on industry-self regulation. The First Amendment’s protection for commercial speech and previous gutting of the Federal Trade Commission’s authority pose barriers to restricting food marketing to children. However, false, unfair, and deceptive acts and practices remain subject to regulation and provide an avenue to address marketing to young children, modern practices that have evaded regulation, and gaps in the food and beverage industry’s self-regulatory approach.

Type
Independent Articles
Copyright
© 2022 The Author(s)

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Clark, H., Coll-Seck, A.M., Banerjee, A., Peterson, S., Dalglish, S.L., Ameratunga, S., et al., “A Future for the World’s Children? A WHO–UNICEF–Lancet Commission,” The Lancet 395, no. 10224: 605658; see also, Institute of Medicine (IOM), Food Marketing to Children and Youth: Threat or Opportunity (Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2006).Google Scholar
Grier, S.A. and Kumanyika, S., “The Context for Choice: Health Implications of Targeted Food and Beverage Marketing to African Americans,” American Journal of Public Health 98, no. 9 (2008): 16161629; see also, J.L. Harris, “Targeted Food Marketing to Black and Hispanic Consumers: The Tobacco Playbook,” American Journal of Public Health 110, no. 3 (2020): 271-272.Google ScholarPubMed
Taillie, L.S., Busey, E., Stoltze, F.M., and Carpentier, F.R. Dillman, “Governmental Policies to Reduce Unhealthy Food Marketing to Children,” Nutrition Review 77, no. 11 (2019): 787816.Google ScholarPubMed
Campbell, A.J., “Rethinking Children’s Advertising Policies for the Digital Age,” Loyola Consumer Law Review 29, no. 1 (2017): 154.Google Scholar
See Clark, supra note 1; see Taillie, supra note 3.Google Scholar
Board of Trustees v. Fox, 492 U.S. 469, 482 (1989).Google Scholar
Lorillard Tobacco Co. v. Reilly, 533 U.S. 525 (2001).Google Scholar
Rubin v. Coors Brewing Co., 514 U.S. 476 (1995).Google Scholar
Friedman v. Rogers, 440 U.S. 1 (1979).Google Scholar
Cent. Hudson Gas & Elec. Corp. v. Public Serv. Comm’n, 447 U.S. 557 (1980).Google Scholar
Sorrell v. IMS Health Inc., 564 U.S. 552 (2011); Nat’l Inst. of Family & Life Advocates v. Becerra, 138 S. Ct. 2361 (2018); see also Campbell, supra note 4.Google Scholar
Lorillard Tobacco Co. v. Reilly, 533 U.S. 525 (2001).Google Scholar
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310 (2010).Google Scholar
Sorrell v. IMS Health Inc., 564 U.S. 552 (2011).Google Scholar
Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association, 564 U.S. 786 (2011).Google Scholar
Pomeranz, J.L., “Abortion Disclosure Laws and the First Amendment: The Broader Public Health Implications of the Supreme Court’s Becerra Decision,” American Journal of Public Health 109, no. 3 (2019): 412418.Google ScholarPubMed
FTC Policy Statement on Deception, October 14, 1983, Appended to Cliffdale Associates, Inc., 103 F.T.C. 110, 174 (1984), available at <https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/public_statements/410531/831014deceptionstmt.pdf> (last visited August 2, 2022).+(last+visited+August+2,+2022).>Google Scholar
15 U.S.C. § 45(n).Google Scholar
15 U.S.C. § 57a(h).Google Scholar
Pomeranz, J.L., “Federal Trade Commission’s Authority to Regulate Marketing to Children: Deceptive v. Unfair Rulemaking.,” Health Matrix: Journal of Law-Medicine 21 (2011): 521553.Google Scholar
15 U.S.C. §57a(h).Google Scholar
Pomeranz, J.L., “Television Food Marketing to Children Revisited: The Federal Trade Commission has the Constitutional and Statutory Authority to Regulate,” Journal of Law Medicine & Ethics 38, no. 1 (2010): 98116.Google ScholarPubMed
FTC, “FTC Investigation of Ad Claims that Rice Krispies Benefits Children’s Immunity Leads to Stronger Order Against Kellogg,” June 3, 2010, available at <https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2010/06/ftc-investigation-ad-claims-rice-krispies-benefits-childrens> (last visited August 2, 2022).+(last+visited+August+2,+2022).>Google Scholar
15 USCS § 46.Google Scholar
See FTC, “Marketing Food To Children and Adolescents: A Review of Industry Expenditures, Activities, and Self-Regulation: A Federal Trade Commission Report To Congress,” July 2008, available at <https://www.ftc.gov/reports/marketing-food-children-adolescents-review-industry-expenditures-activities-self-regulation> (last visited August 2, 2022); see also FTC, A Review of Food Marketing to Children and Adolescents. Follow-Up Report (December 2012), available at <https://www.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/documents/reports/review-food-marketing-children-and-adolescents-follow-report/121221foodmarketingreport.pdf> (last visited August 2, 2022).+(last+visited+August+2,+2022);+see+also+FTC,+A+Review+of+Food+Marketing+to+Children+and+Adolescents.+Follow-Up+Report+(December+2012),+available+at++(last+visited+August+2,+2022).>Google Scholar
Pomeranz, J.L. and Brownell, K.D., “Advancing Public Health Obesity Policy through State Attorneys General,” American Journal of Public Health 101, no. 3 (2011): 425431; see also, L. Rutkow and S.P. Teret, “Role of State Attorneys General in Health Policy,” JAMA 304, no. 12 (2010): 1377-1378.Google ScholarPubMed
See Pomeranz, supra note 28.Google Scholar
Id.; see also Rutkow, supra note 28.Google Scholar
W.H. Dietz, “New Strategies To Improve Food Marketing To Children,” Health Affairs 32, no. 9 (2013), available at <https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2012.1294> (last visited August 2, 2022).+(last+visited+August+2,+2022).>Google Scholar
Better Business Bureau, “Children’s Food & Beverage Advertising Initiative,” available at <https://bbbprograms.org/programs/all-programs/cfbai> (last visited August 2, 2022).+(last+visited+August+2,+2022).>Google Scholar
M. Enright and L. Eskenazi, Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative & Children’s Confection Advertising Initiative Annual Report 2019 (2020), available at <https://bbbnp-bbbp-stf-use1-01.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/default-source/cfbai/2019-cfbai-ccai-report.pdf> (last visited August 2, 2022).+(last+visited+August+2,+2022).>Google Scholar
RWJF Healthy Eating Research. Recommendations for Responsible Food Marketing to Children. 2015, available at <http://healthyeatingresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/HER_Food-Marketing-Recomm_1-2015.pdf> (last visited August 2, 2022).+(last+visited+August+2,+2022).>Google Scholar
J.L. Harris et al., “Food Industry Self-Regulation after 10 years: Progress and Opportunities to Improve Food Advertising to Children,” UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity, FACTS (November 2017); see also, Ralston Aoki, J. and Moore, E.S., “Self-Regulation as a Tool for Promoting Healthier Children’s Diets: Can CARU and the CFBAI Do More?” in Advances in Communication Research to Reduce Childhood Obesity, eds. Williams, J.D., Pasch, K.E., and Collins, C. (New York: Springer, 2012).Google Scholar
J.L. Harris et al., Food Marketing FACTS in Focus: Kraft Lunchables, Rudd Center (April 2014), available at <http://uconnruddcenter.org/files/Pdfs/RuddReport_Lunchables_4_14.pdf> (last visited August 2, 2022).+(last+visited+August+2,+2022).>Google Scholar
See Harris, supra note 37.Google Scholar
Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, ACORN, Salud America! Food Advertising Targeted to Hispanic and Black Youth: Contributing to Health Disparities (2015), available at <https://uconnruddcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2909/2020/09/272-7-Rudd_Targeted-Marketing-Report_Release_0811151.pdf> (last visited August 2, 2022).+(last+visited+August+2,+2022).>Google Scholar
See Better Business Bureau, supra note 32.Google Scholar
47 C.F.R. §73.670.Google Scholar
See Dietz, supra note 31.Google Scholar
Emond, J.A., Fleming-Milici, F., McCarthy, J., Ribakove, S., Chester, J., Golin, J., Sargent, J.D., Gilbert-Diamond, D., and Polacsek, M., “Unhealthy Food Marketing on Commercial Educational Websites: Remote Learning and Gaps in Regulation,” American Journal of Preventive Medicine 60, no. 4 (2021): 587591.Google ScholarPubMed
Kent, M.P., Pauzé, E., Roy, E.-A., and de Billy, N., “Children and Adolescents’ Exposure to Food and Beverage Marketing in Social Media Apps,” Pediatric Obesity 14, no. 6 (2019): e12508.Google Scholar
See Campbell, supra note 4.Google Scholar
Alruwaily, A., Mangold, C., Greene, T., Arshonsky, J., Cassidy, O., Pomeranz, J.L., Bragg, M., “Child Social Media Influencers and Unhealthy Food Product Placement,” Pediatrics 146, no. 5 (2020): e20194057.Google ScholarPubMed
S. Driver, “Learn to Spot Fake Social Media Influencers,” Business News Daily, Feb. 04, 2019, available at <https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/11129-how-to-spot-fake-social-media-influencers.html> (last visited August 2, 2022).+(last+visited+August+2,+2022).>Google Scholar
FTC, “Complying with COPPA: Frequently Asked Questions,” available at <https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/complying-coppa-frequently-asked-questions-0> (last visited August 2, 2022).+(last+visited+August+2,+2022).>Google Scholar
N. Friedman, “Understanding COPPA: What SmartMarketers Need to Know,” KidzUz, January 10, 2018, available at <https://kidzvuzmedia.com/kidzvuz-blog/understanding-coppa-what-smart-marketers-need-to-know> (last visited August 2, 2022).+(last+visited+August+2,+2022).>Google Scholar
See Campbell, supra note 4.Google Scholar
FTC, “Native Advertising: A Guide for Businesses,” available at <https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/native-advertising-guide-businesses> (last visited August 2, 2022).+(last+visited+August+2,+2022).>Google Scholar
Brown v. Entm’t Merchs. Ass’n, 564 U.S. 786, 821 (2011) (Justice Thomas dissenting).Google Scholar
See T. Haspel, “Doritos Chips are One of the Foods that Got a Back-to-School Makeover to Comply with School Nutrition Standards in 2014,” The Washington Post, August 18, 2020; see also, E. Watson, “CFBAI Boss: Food Advertising to Kids is a ‘Wholly Inappropriate’ Area for Government Intervention,” foodnavigator-usa, November 3, 2011, available at <https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2011/11/03/CFBAI-boss-Food-advertising-to-kids-is-a-wholly-inappropriate-area-for-government-intervention> (last visited August 2, 2022).+(last+visited+August+2,+2022).>Google Scholar
D. Kunkel, B. L. Wilcox, J. Cantor, E. Palmer, S. Linn, and P. Dowrick, Report of the APA Task Force on Advertising and Children: Psychological Issues in the Increasing Commercialization of Childhood, February 20, 2004.Google Scholar
Id.; see also Institute of Medicine, supra note 1.Google Scholar
See Campbell, supra note 4.Google Scholar
Montgomery, K.C. and Chester, J., “Interactive Food and Beverage Marketing: Targeting Adolescents in the Digital Age,” Journal of Adolescent Health 45, no. 3 Supp. (2009): S18S29.Google ScholarPubMed
45 CFR 46.404.Google Scholar
45 CFR 46.402.Google Scholar
Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Clinical Research Involving Children, Ethical Conduct of Clinical Research Involving Children, ed. Field, M.J., Behrman, R.E. (Washington, DC: National Academies Press (US); 2004). “B, State Regulation of Medical Research with Children and Adolescents: An Overview and Analysis,” available at <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK25556/> (last visited August 2, 2022).Google Scholar
HHS, Office for Human Research Protection, “Children: Information on Special Protections for Children as Research Subjects,” available at <https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/regulations-and-policy/guidance/special-protections-for-children/index.html#:~:text=By%20regulatory%20definition%2C%20children%20are,old%20to%20be%20a%20child> (last visited August 2, 2022).+(last+visited+August+2,+2022).>Google Scholar
See Kunkel, supra note 59; see also Pomeranz, supra note 24.Google Scholar
45 CFR 46.404.Google Scholar
45 CFR 46.122.Google Scholar
GAO, Corporate Tax Expenditures Information on Estimated Revenue Losses and Related Federal Spending Programs (March 2013), available at <https://www.gao.gov/assets/660/653120.pdf> (last visited August 8, 2022).+(last+visited+August+8,+2022).>Google Scholar
HHS, Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects (‘Common Rule’), available at <https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/regulations-and-policy/regulations/common-rule/index.html> (last visited August 2, 2022).+(last+visited+August+2,+2022).>Google Scholar
Sonneville, K.R., Long, M.W., Ward, Z.J., Resch, S.C., Wang, Y.C., Pomeranz, J.L., Moodie, M.L., Carter, R., Sacks, G., Swinburn, B.A., and Gortmaker, S.L., “BMI and Healthcare Cost Impact of Eliminating Tax Subsidy for Advertising Unhealthy Food to Youth,” American Journal of Preventive Medicine 49, no. 1 (2015): 124134.Google ScholarPubMed
H. R. 7342. To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to protect children’s health by denying any deduction for advertising and marketing directed at children to promote the consumption of food of poor nutritional quality. 115th Congress 2d Session, December 19, 2018, available at <https://www.congress.gov/115/bills/hr7342/BILLS-115hr7342ih.pdf> (last visited August 2, 2022)+(last+visited+August+2,+2022)>Google Scholar
45 CFR 46.122.Google Scholar
See Pomeranz, supra note 17.Google Scholar
See Pomeranz, supra note 24.Google Scholar
The Coca-Cola Company, “Does Coca-Cola Market its Products to Children?” available at <https://www.coca-colacompany.com/faqs/does-coca-cola-market-to-children#:~:text=At%20Coca%2DCola%2C%20we%20take,whom%20we%20advertise%20our%20products> (last visited August 2, 2022); see also J.L. Pomeranz, “Are We Ready for the Next Nike v. Kasky?” University of Cincinnati Law Review 83, no. 1 (2014): 203-228.+(last+visited+August+2,+2022);+see+also+J.L.+Pomeranz,+“Are+We+Ready+for+the+Next+Nike+v.+Kasky?”+University+of+Cincinnati+Law+Review+83,+no.+1+(2014):+203-228.>Google Scholar
Beer Institute, Advertising/Marketing Code and Buying Guidelines, available at <https://www.beerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/BEER-6735-2018-Beer-Ad-Code-Update-Brochure-for-web.pdf> (last visited August 2, 2022).+(last+visited+August+2,+2022).>Google Scholar
See Pomeranz, supra note 78.Google Scholar
See Pomeranz, supra note 24; see also Campbell, supra note 4.Google Scholar
S.3411 — KIDS Act 116th Congress (2019-2020), available at <https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/3411/text> (last visited August 2, 2022).+(last+visited+August+2,+2022).>Google Scholar