Products marketed and produced for children often contain large amounts of added sugar, saturated fats and salt. Many of the products intended for children have lower nutritional quality than similar products intended for adults. Our taste preferences such as preference for sweet and salty products develop in the early childhood and influence our dietary choices for the rest of our lives. In order to prevent obesity and chronic diseases among children, the nutritional quality of the products intended for children should be improved and children should be taught to choose healthy products.
Contents
Eating healthy products intended for children that are in accordance with the nutrition recommendations will be made easy.
Operators are encouraged to offer and select in their purchases products intended for children that meet the Better Choice Heart Symbol criteria and in which the nutritional quality is not poorer than in the corresponding products intended for adults.
Targets
In 2020, all (100%) products intended for children are in accordance with the Better Choice Heart Symbol criteria or the WHO nutrient profile models and the products are marketed in accordance with the guidelines and recommendations on marketing communications to children.
We are improving the nutritional quality and marketing of the products intended for children by
- developing products for children that meet the Better Choice Heart Symbol criteria See also: https://www.sydanmerkki.fi/en/criteria
- ensuring that the products intended for children are not of poorer quality than those intended for adults, in terms of their content and quality of salt, fat and sugar
- observing the WHO recommendations on marketing communications to children
- observing the recommendations of the Finnish Food and Drink Industries’ Federation on marketing communications to children (in Finnish)
- developing whole grain products and products containing vegetables for children that meet the Better Choice Heart Symbol criteria
Examples of commitments
Example 1: From the start of 2019, all our products marketed to children will meet the Better Choice Heart Symbol criteria.
Example 2: The nutritional quality of our snack products intended for children will be in accordance with the WHO nutrient profile model by the year 2020.
Example 3: We will halve the sugar content in our products intended for children by the year 2020.
Example 4: A total of 60 per cent of the (sales volume) of the yogurts and puddings intended for children will be in accordance with the Better Choice Heart Symbol criteria by the year 2020.