Advertising Industry Commits to New Food Code and Guide to Deliver on Government's Objectives on Advertising to Children

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Wednesday, 30 June 2021 12:00.PM

- Code and Guide for the Responsible Advertising of Food and Beverage Products to Children applies to all advertising, on any media, adding to existing standards and meeting or exceeding Health Canada recommendations. -

A coalition of Canada's largest advertisers, food and beverage brands and manufacturers and restaurants today announced their commitment to a comprehensive Code and Guide to govern the advertising of food and beverage products to children. The commitment was made by four leading industry associations on behalf of their members including the Association of Canadian Advertisers, Canadian Beverage Association, Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada and Restaurants Canada.

The Code for the Responsible Advertising of Food and Beverage Products to Children ("Food and Beverage Advertising Code") will be administered by Advertising Standards Canada, which will implement preclearance services under this Code and a compliance and complaint reporting mechanism. The new Code and Guide will govern all food and beverage advertising across Canada on any media. It meets or exceeds the latest Health Canada recommendations published in December 2018.

"Industry has worked for the last two years in collaboration with the federal government and a diverse community of stakeholders to achieve the shared objective of a comprehensive and workable regime to govern advertising in Canada that protects children," said Ron Lund, President and CEO of the Association of Canadian Advertisers. "Building on the great foundational work of Health Canada, I am pleased to announce on behalf of four leading industry associations a commitment to comply to this new Code to assist them in delivering on one of their key priorities."

"Industry has always been supportive of the government's objectives on this issue. We are proud to take this important and meaningful step to make this a national standard," Ron added.

Food and Beverage Advertising Code is supported by a coalition of industry leaders ready to implement, with compliance from their members before the summer of 2023.

SOURCE: Association of Canadian Advertisers

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