Pudding, sweets, burgers, tarts: can these foods be part of a balanced diet?

Is it okay for such products to be advertised to children?

Or does that promote obesity?

The judgment of Cristiano Ronaldo, who attracted attention during the European Football Championship with his actions against the beverage giant Coca-Cola, would be unequivocal: no.

Gustav Theile

Editor in business.

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In Germany, the dispute about proper nutrition and marketing for children has been raging for years.

Two fronts are irreconcilable: on the one hand consumer protection organizations such as Foodwatch, on the other hand the industry, represented by the advertising association ZAW.

It was not until the beginning of June that the guidelines for which advertisements can be shown to children were tightened.

But calm does not return, on the contrary: The dispute escalates before the federal election.

"Gummy bears are not balanced"

The starting point is a total of 16 complaints that Foodwatch submitted to the Advertising Council shortly after the tightening and which are available to the FAZ together with the answers from the German Advertising Council. It is a self-regulating body of the economy, which consists of managers, who mainly come from the advertising and food industries. It is supported by the member organizations of the ZAW. The advertising council issues public reprimands if a company does not stop or change its advertising even after being requested to do so.

In the complaints, Foodwatch criticizes the advertising of various companies: an online competition for Paula pudding by Dr.

Oetker or a website with games from the candy brand Nimm2.

The organization is also bothered by advertising by influencers on social networks for cakes and McDonald's.

For example, she argues: "Pudding is not a good food for a healthy diet" or "Gummy bears are not balanced foods".

Does the advertising council fail?

In doing so, Foodwatch is referring to the changes to the rules from the beginning of June, which were brought about by Julia Klöckner (CDU), among other things, under pressure from the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL). Since then, it is no longer permissible to highlight positive properties of foods in advertisements for children if “excessive consumption is not recommended as part of a balanced diet”. In addition, the stricter rules now apply to advertising aimed at children up to 14 years of age. Previously, the limit was 12 years.

The advertising council "refused to intervene in all cases," complains Foodwatch in a statement. According to the organization, eight advertising measures were withdrawn after the complaints were submitted; in the other eight cases, the advertising council decided against a complaint. The harsh judgment of Oliver Huizinga, campaign director at Foodwatch: “When it comes to protecting children, the advertising advisory board fails across the board. If even online games and competitions for sugar beverages, sweet pudding and wine gum do not induce children to adopt an unhealthy diet - what then? "The advertising industry is" obviously not a suitable partner in the fight against obesity in children ". Foodwatch therefore demands:The future federal government should withdraw its trust in the committee and instead follow the demands of doctors' associations and the World Health Organization to "ban advertising aimed at children for unbalanced foods by law".