Monitoring food and beverage marketing to children via television in Estonia

Abstract

This report analysed the amount of food and beverages advertising, and the type of product, that children (under 18 years of age) are likely to be exposed to on television. The most advertised product type on television was food and beverages (32.7%). When foods and beverages were classified according to the WHO nutritional profile model into those permitted and not permitted to be marketed to children, 69.0% of advertisements for food and beverages were in the not permitted group. The most advertised categories were “chocolate and sugar confectionery” (20.3%), “other beverages” (12.9%) and “fresh and frozen meat” (10.4%). On average, 10.7 food advertisements were shown on television every hour, and 7.3 of these were of products not permitted to be advertised to children. The most advertised category around children’s programmes was “chocolate and confectionery”. It will be worth discussing whether stricter methods are needed to tackle food marketing to children and adolescents in Estonia because self-regulation via the Estonian Broadcasters Association’s code of conduct has not proved sufficient.