Responsible Food Marketing Policy: WFA key messages

Food advertisers are facing unprecedented regulatory pressures around the world. Increasingly, governments are proposing food marketing restrictions that do not only limit children’s exposure to ‘unhealthy’ foods, but that severely impact their ability to connect with adult, and general audiences.

For the past two decades, WFA has been championing voluntary initiatives in the area of food marketing – at a global level, in partnership with the International Food and Beverage Alliance (IFBA), and at a local level through its network of national associations and partners. WFA also partners with the International Council for Advertising Self-regulation (ICAS) and the European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA), to support the development of ad standards that reflect societal concerns around food marketing, particularly when it comes to children.

This paper sets out WFA’s key messages advocating for proportionate, evidence-based and robust policies on food marketing and children. It highlights the important role that private sector has in contributing to the reduction in children’s exposure to HFSS food and beverage marketing.