Abstract This research examines the effectiveness of the EU Pledge, a self-regulation initiative of leading food companies at the European level, in restricting television advertising of food and drink products high in fat, sugar or salt (HFSS) to children. In October 2011 and 2014, television program of ten German television networks was recorded on a weekday and a weekend day. Data was analyzed using content and regression analysis. Advertised products were examined for their compliance with the nutrient criteria of the EU Pledge and the UK OFCOM nutrient profile model. The sample contains 88 h of advertising with a total of 697 child-targeted food and beverage advertising (CFBA). The results indicate that the number of CFBA broadcasted in television program declined from 2011 to 2014 for both Pledge signatory and non-signatory companies with an overall stronger reduction in children’s compared to non-children’s program. Our findings demonstrate that CFBA broadcasted in children’s program by Pledge members comply by and large with the EU Pledge nutritional criteria in 2014. However, in the same year the probability of CFBA aired by signatory companies in non-children’s program to meet the nutrient profile criteria of the EU Pledge was low. Furthermore, the majority of CFBA of signatory companies do not meet the OFCOM nutritional criteria even in the children’s program. Thus, the effectiveness of the EU Pledge in reducing children’s exposure to child-targeted advertising of HFSS foods and drinks is limited by the focus on children’s program and the relative lenient nutritional criteria agreed on by signatory companies. Based on our results we derive recommendations for industry and policy.

中文翻译：

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儿童食品广告的行业自律：欧盟承诺的合规性与有效性

摘要 本研究检验了欧盟承诺（欧洲领先食品公司的一项自律倡议）在限制向儿童播放高脂肪、高糖或高盐 (HFSS) 食品和饮料产品的电视广告方面的有效性。2011 年 10 月和 2014 年，德国 10 家电视网络的电视节目在工作日和周末录制。使用内容分析和回归分析对数据进行分析。检查广告产品是否符合欧盟承诺和英国 OFCOM 营养状况模型的营养标准。该样本包含 88 小时的广告，共有 697 个面向儿童的食品和饮料广告 (CFBA)。结果表明，从 2011 年到 2014 年，承诺签署和非签署公司在电视节目中播放的 CFBA 数量均有所下降，与非儿童节目相比，儿童节目的整体减少幅度更大。我们的研究结果表明，承诺成员在儿童节目中播放的 CFBA 基本上符合 2014 年欧盟承诺的营养标准。 然而，同年，非儿童节目签约公司播出的 CFBA 满足营养成分标准的可能性欧盟承诺的比例很低。此外，大多数签署公司的 CFBA 甚至在儿童计划中也不符合 OFCOM 的营养标准。因此，欧盟承诺在减少儿童接触针对儿童的 HFSS 食品和饮料广告方面的有效性受到对儿童计划的关注和签署公司同意的相对宽松的营养标准的限制。根据我们的结果，我们得出行业和政策建议。