Dear FSN Forum Moderators:
The Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI), an advertising self-regulation program administered by the Council of Better Business Bureaus, is keenly aware of the burdens that childhood overweight and obesity place on children and society. CFBAI was created to be a dynamic program that would drive positive changes in the children’s advertising landscape in the U.S. through the power of a coalition and strong nutrition standards. Since 2007 CFBAI has grown to 18 from 10 participants, adopted rigorous category-specific uniform nutrition criteria, and expanded its media platform coverage. CFBAI participants have developed new, healthier foods and made hundreds of recipe improvements, including notable reductions in calories, sugars, and sodium and increases in nutrient density in foods advertised to children. Under CFBAI, children’s food advertising has experienced steady progress and the program has been a model for strong, transparent and responsive self-regulation globally.
Maureen Enright