The Council of Better Business Bureaus launched the Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative in November 2006 to provide companies that advertise foods and beverages to children with a transparent and accountable advertising self-regulation mechanism. The Initiative is aimed at shifting the mix of advertising messaging directed to children under 12 to encourage healthier dietary choices and healthy lifestyles.
Under the terms of the Initiative, participating companies agree to devote at least 50 percent their advertising directed to children under 12 to promote healthier or better for you dietary choices and/or to messages that encourage good nutrition or healthy lifestyles. Participants’ nutrition criteria defining better-for-you products must be consistent with established scientific and/or government standards, such as USDA Dietary Guidelines and MyPyramid, and FDA standards for health claims. Each company prepares a Pledge that describes its commitment. This document must be approved by the Initiative staff. The Pledges are available for public viewing on the BBB web site after they have been approved.
Participating companies also have agreed to:
- Reduce the use of third-party licensed characters in advertising primarily directed to children under 12 that does not meet the Initiative's product or messaging criteria.
- Not pay for or actively seek food and beverage product placement in editorial or entertainment content that is primarily directed to children under 12
- Change interactive games that are primarily directed to children under that include the company’s food or beverage brands to incorporate better-for-you foods or healthy lifestyle messages in the games.
Participating companies have also agreed not to advertise food or beverage products in elementary schools. For more information, please click on the Fact Sheet on the Elementary School Advertising Principles.
For more information about the program's core principles, please click the Initiative Program Document.
The BBB also administers a separate self-regulatory program called The Children's Advertising Review Unit (CARU). CFBAI and CARU work together to foster trust in the marketplace by promoting balance in food and beverage marketing and truthful, responsible advertising to children under 12 years old. For more information about how CARU and CFBAI work together, please click on the CARU and CFBAI Fact Sheet.
Initiative Staff
C. Lee Peeler, CBBB EVP and President, National Advertising Review Council (NARC)
Elaine D. Kolish, Vice President and Director, Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative
Maureen Enright, Assistant Director, Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative
Caitlin Burke, Administrative Coordinator, Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative
The Initiative staff is responsible for monitoring company commitments. Monitoring activities include the review of advertising materials, product information, and demographic information (submitted on a confidential basis) to confirm participant compliance. The Initiative responds to public inquiries relating to compliance. The Initiative periodically will issue public reports detailing its activities.