Stricter food advertising rules for youth till 16 in Belgium

The Belgian Food Advertising Code aims to better protect consumers under the age of 16 from marketing products considered unhealthy. It is a comprehension of guidelines, supervised by the Belgian Food Industry Federation (Fevia).

This initiative, spearheaded by the Belgian Food Industry Federation (Fevia), the trade federation Comeos, the Belgian Advertisers Association (UBA), and the Advertising Council, replaces the previous "Belgian Pledge" and tightens restrictions on food advertising. The code aims to address concerns about the impact of junk food marketing on children's health, particularly in the context of social media and influencer marketing. I personally did not collaborate with any relevant partners. The policy came about earlier pledges; here is a timeline: - 2005 The initial code was a voluntary agreement focused on responsible food advertising with a specific section dedicated to children - 2012 - Pledge 1.0 is a food sector initiative whereby 52 food companies, traders, restaurant chains and caterers are voluntarily limiting their marketing to children under 12 and to respecting strict rules when they do advertise to this group. This version was concerned with advertising on TV, children’s websites and in schools. - June 2017 – pledge 2.0 the scope of the Belgian Pledge was extended to radio, cinema, DVD/CD-ROM, direct marketing, product placement, interactive games, outdoor marketing, mobile en SMS marketing. Also company social media profiles are now in scope. - 2020 pledge 3.0: advertising and promotions aimed at children are only allowed if the products meet strict nutritional standards (pdf), while producers can only advertise products where the levels of fat, sugar and salt are limited. with stricter nutritional criteria to be able to advertise to children, an extension to online influencers, and the testing of a complaints system. - June 2023 update: Belgian Pledge: a raise in the age limit from 12 to 13 - January 2026 update: New Belgian Food Advertising Code, a new raise in the age limit to 16 This new code targets advertising for sweets, biscuits, non-alcoholic drinks, ice cream and chocolate, honey, jam and many breakfast cereals and will be explicitly excluded from advertising aimed at minors. Only products that meet strict nutritional standards will be excused.

All rules are clearly set out in the new Belgian Food Advertising Code, the follow-up to the Belgian Pledge, which is part of Food Advertising Code and supervised by Fevia. The Jury on Ethical Practices in Advertising (JEP) monitors compliance with the rules, assesses complaints and advises companies on their correct application. The JEP will monitor them independently, and their complaints procedure is open to everyone: from consumers to organisations and public authorities. The sectors encourage everyone to use this procedure to ensure that the Advertising Code is always respected. The JEP's decisions are publicly available on its website, year after year.

The updated rules will apply to all media platforms, including TV, radio, cinema, online and social media, whenever more than 30% of the audience is under the age of 16. Additionally, food advertising will be prohibited within a 150-metre radius of primary and secondary schools. Digital platforms are receiving special attention, with new guidelines on how companies may use TikTok, Snapchat, gaming platforms and influencers to reach young audiences. The Belgian Food Advertising Code is complemented by an Implementation Guide, which gives companies concrete guidelines on how to apply the rules in practice, with a particular focus on social media and influencer marketing. Fevia, Comeos and the Advertising Council are organising webinars and providing a toolkit to give their members practical tips and insights on how to properly comply with the new rules. Results: No measurements are executed yet as it will only start from January 2026.

company and info flemish: https://www.fevia.be/nl/nieuws/de-belgian-food-advertising-code-verstrengt-regels-voor-marketing-naar-kinderen-en-jongeren ARTICLE English: https://www.en-sjgle.com/news/show-37765.html#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20Belgian%20Food%20Advertising%20Code,Luc%20Suykens%2C%20CEO%20of%20UBA.