GCC-based member companies of the International Food & Beverage Alliance (IFBA) Ferrero, General Mills, Kellogg Company, Mars, Mondelēz MEA FZE, Nestlé, PepsiCo, The Coca-Cola Export corporation (Dubai Branch) and Unilever, today announced that they have achieved a 100 per cent compliance against their commitment on the Pledge on Responsible Food and Beverage Marketing to Children in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
A recent study by IPSOS, the professional audit and verification agency, confirmed this following an independent audit of the IFBA member company’s marketing practices in the two countries. Independent audits on member company marketing practices in Saudi Arabia and have been conducted since 2012.
The Responsible Food and Beverage Marketing to Children Pledge, initially adopted in the GCC in 2010, is a voluntary commitment by the signatory companies to conduct responsible food and beverage marketing to children.
In promoting the pledge, GCC FBA underscores its wider commitment to improving nutrition and supporting healthier lifestyles among children. In addition, it informs and benchmarks how food and beverage products are marketed in a responsible way to children under the age of 12 in the region.
The pledge covers products containing saturated fats, trans-fatty acids, sugars and salt in its scope. In 2016 the pledge was enhanced by applying a set of nutrition criteria to define ‘better for you options’ for the exclusive purpose of defining better-for-you options in the context of food and beverage advertising to children under twelve.
The pledge applies to marketing material across multiple channels including TV, print, owned/third-party websites, radio, cinema, interactive games, SMS and more. All marketing and advertising campaigns are monitored by an independent external agency to ensure compliance with the pledge.
