The Code and Guide for the Responsible Advertising of Food and Beverage Products to Children, an industry self-regulatory approach to ensuring responsible advertising to kids, has come into effect as of Wednesday.

The Code is a self-regulating set of rules for advertisers of food and beverage products, requiring a responsible approach to child audiences. Under the new standard, only food and beverages that meet specified nutrition criteria – namely, saturated fat, sodium and sugar levels – may be advertised in a manner primarily directed to children under the age of 13.

Levels vary slightly between packaged foods, restaurant meals and breakfast cereal. Certain foods – such as staple items or foods important to children’s diets – may have their own unique nutrition criteria, determined separately by Health Canada and with input from other relevant stakeholders.

The Code also prohibits advertising in schools, urging children to buy and product placement in content target to children, regardless of nutrition levels of the product.

Beginning today, Ad Standards Canada, the independent non-profit responsible for upholding industry advertising standards, will fully implement a preclearance regime and complaints procedure for ads targeted to children.

The Code also comes with an accompanying guide to be used by Ad Standards in its administration and enforcement of the Code, as well as provide advertisers with guidance in ensuring their advertising is compliant.

The Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA), Food, Health and Consumer Products Canada (FHCP), Canadian Beverage Association (CBA) and Restaurants Canada worked with government and a diverse group of stakeholders to introduce the Code and Guide in 2021. The groups claim it fulfills the objectives of government in restricting marketing of food and beverage products to kids.

According to Ron Lund, president and CEO of the ACA, the Code is one of the strongest, most comprehensive programs of its kind in the world, and “stands poised to dramatically reduce the exposure of children to child-directed food and beverage advertising.”

Advertisers are encouraged to submit all food and beverage ads that could be construed as being primarily directed to children, across any media, for review and preclearance by Ad Standards to ensure compliance.

Ad Standards will consider three criteria to determine whether an ad is directed at children: the nature and intended purpose of the food or beverage product advertised; the manner of presenting the ad; and where and when it is shown.

For an ad that hasn’t been pre-cleared, or has been altered from its cleared form, Ad Standards will consider complaints from the public or other advertisers. If the ad does not comply with the Code, the advertiser will be required to withdraw or amend the advertisement. If the advertiser does not comply with Ad Standards’ direction, the body may request the host media to withdraw the ad or refer the matter to Health Canada.

“It is important to understand that this is an industry-wide code, says Krista Scaldwell, the CBA’s President. “The new preclearance and enforcement system will apply to all advertisers and for all media. The new restrictions are another example of the food and beverage sectors’ commitment to our consumers.”

Recent University of Ottawa research, funded by The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, examined the effectiveness of so-called “spokes-characters” like Tony the Tiger, Trix the Rabbit, and Count Chocula on kids’ food preferences. Researchers showed food ads to 1,341 Canadian kids, aged nine to 12, and measured their intentions to eat, buy, or pester their parents for it, and they claim there is a direct link between cartoons and the allure of unhealthy foods that can cause long-term health issues.