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A Comparison of the Healthfulness of Prepackaged Children's Foods from Participants and Non‐Participants of the Canadian Voluntary Code on Marketing to Children
Author(s) -
Murray Chelsea,
L'Abbé Mary
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.29.1_supplement.124.1
Subject(s) - interquartile range , medicine , product (mathematics) , food products , commit , environmental health , psychology , food science , mathematics , database , computer science , chemistry , geometry
This study's purpose was to determine whether children's food and beverage products from companies participating in the Canadian voluntary code on marketing to children (CAI), which does not cover product packaging, were healthier than children's products from non‐participating companies. All products marketed to children (n=415) were identified in a database of Canadian food products (n=10,488). The Ofcom nutrient profiling method was used to calculate a summary score of the healthfulness of each children's product based on its content of specific nutrients. These scores, ranging from 1 to 100 (where 1 is least healthy), were compared between children's products from CAI participants (n=164) and non‐participants (n=251). The Ofcom model provides a cutoff score for products to be classified as “healthier”; the proportion of products meeting this “healthier” cutoff was compared between products from CAI participants and non‐participants. The median healthfulness score of children's products from CAI participants was 43 (interquartile range 37‐66); this score was not significantly different compared to children's products from non‐participants, which scored 54 (interquartile range 38‐64). However, a significantly lower proportion of children's products from CAI participants were considered “healthier”, 14% of products, compared to 23% from non‐participants; p = .02. These results indicate that voluntary codes, such as the CAI, in which companies commit to reduce the marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children, should also apply to all components of their marketing, including product packaging. Supported by McHenry Chair grant (ML); and OGS, CIHR Master's, and CIHR PICDP graduate scholarships (CM)