Marketing Food to Children

Ahead of the Bell:FTC report on kid food marketing
Tuesday July 29, 6:20 am ET
FTC to report on how much food and drink makers spend on marketing to children NEW YORK (AP) -- How much major food and drink makers spend on marketing to children will be the subject of a report released Tuesday by the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC subpoenaed major food and beverage companies as part of a report prepared for Congress. A hearing was scheduled for 11 a.m. EDT in Washington, D.C.
The list of subpoenaed companies includes Burger King Holdings Inc., Campbell Soup Co., The Coca-Cola Co., General Mills Inc., Interstate Bakeries Corp., Kellogg Co., Kraft Foods Inc., Mars Inc., McDonald's Corp., Nestle USA Inc., PepsiCo Inc., Wendy's International Inc., YUM Brands Inc. and others. Also Tuesday, the Council of Better Business Bureaus will release a compliance report on the progress of the Children's Food & Beverage Advertising Initiative, a self-regulation effort. In addition to adopting internal standards for how to market to children, food makers have attempted to introduce healthier alternatives, with mixed results. Some new products include lower-calorie snack packs and cartoon-branded vegetables.