Nutrition Profile of Products with Cartoon Animations on the Packaging: A UK Cross-Sectional Survey of Foods and Drinks

Abstract

Background: Marketing, including the use of cartoon animations on packaging, has been shown to influence the food children choose to eat. This paper aims to determine the nutritional quality of UK food and drink products featuring child-friendly characters on pack. Methods: A comprehensive cross-sectional survey of food and drink with packaging appealing to children available in the UK. Products were classified high in fat, salt and/or sugar (HFSS) according to the UK nutrient profiling model and guidance for front of pack nutrition labelling. Logistic regression was used to determine whether there was a significant relationship between nutritional quality of products, and animation type. Results: Over half (51%) of 532 products with animations on packaging were classified as HFSS. Food products featuring unlicensed characters were significantly more likely to be deemed HFSS than those with licensed characters, according to both the nutrient profiling model (odds ratio (OR) 2.1, 95% CI: 1.3 to 3.4) and front of pack nutrition labelling system (OR 2.3, 95% confidence interval CI: 1.4 to 3.7). Conclusions: The use of cartoon characters on HFSS products is widespread. Policies to restrict the use of such marketing tactics should be considered to prevent children being targeted with unhealthy foods and drinks.

The impact on dietary outcomes of licensed and brand equity characters in marketing unhealthy foods to children: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…Characters are used extensively to market HFSS products to children 20,21,23–25 . Potential areas for extending regulations include expanding broadcast regulations beyond child‐specific media, to nonbroadcast media.…”

“…Characters are used extensively to market HFSS products to children. 20 , 21 , 23 , 24 , 25 Potential areas for extending regulations include expanding broadcast regulations beyond child‐specific media, to nonbroadcast media. Our review included marketing of all types and provided evidence that nonbroadcast media, such as advergames and film product placement, are effective at influencing children's dietary behaviors.…”

“…A prewatershed ban on HFSS adverts (between 5:30 a.m. and 9 p.m.) on TV and on demand program services, and a restriction on paid‐for‐less healthy food and drink advertising online, has been announced by the UK Government, 58 which could overcome some of the gaps in regulation and lower exposure to character‐based HFSS advertising. The extension of broadcast regulations to cover product packaging has also been recommended, 21 as the use of characters on packaging that targets children is unrestricted in the United Kingdom and elsewhere 13 , 14 and is pervasive on HFSS products. 21 The impact of characters packaging on dietary outcomes is evidenced in our meta‐analysis and wider review.…”

“…18 Chile is an exception, where comprehensive policies exist that ban the use of characters across all HFSS product marketing. 19 Content analyses and systematic reviews of marketing practices reveal characters as one of the most commonly used tactics for promoting food and drinks, disproportionately HFSS products, to children on packaging 20,21 and TV. 22,23 There is some evidence that licensed and brand equity characters increase children's food preference, choices, intake, and purchasing behaviors in relation to HFSS products.…”

Causative Mechanisms of Childhood and Adolescent Obesity Leading to Adult Cardiometabolic Disease: A Literature Review

“…Marketing techniques that promote such foods are also to be incriminated in the obesogenic tendencies of today's society. Commercials often depict unhealthy foods as palatable, financially accessible, and easy to prepare, appealing both to adults, also exposing the children they are caring for to the same products, and directly to children, sometimes even by associating a favorite cartoon character with unhealthy, sugar-laden products [276,277]. A further example refers to promoting impulse-buying by placing products with a high caloric content in front of cash registers or in waiting zones [278].…”