Kraft Foods last week announced plans to trim online marketing to kids nationally, and committed $2 million to health initiatives in California.
Kraft will pull products that don’t meet its “sensible solution” nutrition standards from its Web sites for kids six to 11, by the end of 2006. Kraft will phase out kids’ advertising for non-compliant products worldwide by 2007; foods that qualify as “sensible solutions” get the marketing dollars.
Kraft introduced its “sensible solution” standards in January when it began shifting ad dollars targeting kids six to 11 away from brands that don’t meet its “better-for-you” nutritional criteria (based on FDA data) to healthier products like sugar-free Kool-Aid and half-sugar cereal.
“That creates internal incentive for our staff to create products that appeal to kids and qualify for advertising for kids six to 11,” said Mark Berlind, Kraft’s executive VP-global corporate affairs, at the FTC’s “Perspectives on Marketing, Self-Regulation, & Childhood Obesity” workshop in July. “Those products have grown three to four times faster than non-qualified products in the past year.”
Meanwhile, the $2 million pledged to California last week will fund grants through 2007 for local projects including the expansion of Kraft’s Salsa Sabor y Salud healthy lifestyles program to eight Los Angeles community groups (February 2004 PROMO); a new partnership with southern California food banks and health centers to distribute healthy foods in conjunction with health screenings and medical referrals; and expansion of Oakland school salad bars.
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last week signed three laws governing school lunch programs statewide by setting nutrition standards, adding more fruits and vegetables to menus (via a $18.2 million appropriation by the state) and banning the sale of soft drinks in high schools. That ban, currently in effect in middle schools, extends to high schools in July 2007; schools can still sell milk, juice water and sports drinks.
Separately, employees of Northfield, IL-based Kraft will get a Health Coach program, with individual counseling on diet and fitness, as part of their benefits package, starting next year.
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