Doing something about child-targeted junk food

What if your child was not in the loop when it came to the amount of junk food that was packaged on shelves?

What if – instead of Cap’n Crunch and Cheetos being aimed at children – veggies and unsweetened applesauce were marketed in a more “kid friendly” fashion?

That may be where the marketing industry is heading.

According to Food Navigator, the companies from the International Food and Beverage Alliance (IFBA) are moving toward a common global approach toward the provision of nutrition information.

With the help of the World Health Organization, they will limit the amount of junk food marketed towards children under the age of twelve and provide more nutrition information. Many big brand companies have teamed up to get the ball rolling by 2016.

What does this mean for our families? Healthier eating all together, vaster nutrition knowledge, and fewer kids reaching for a bag of chips.

I applaud these food corporations for their actions: Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Mondelez International, Ferrero, General Mills, Grupo Bimbo, Nestle, Kellogg’s, Unilever and PepsiCo.

Now let’s just see if it makes an impact on our children’s health and waistlines!

With assistance from Kelly Katzman, nutrition intern