CFBAI_ProgramBackgrounds_4-28-2020

Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative

The Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI) was created to improve the landscape of food advertising to children. Under CFBAI, participants voluntarily commit that, in advertising primarily directed to children, they will either not advertise foods or beverages to children at all or advertise only products that meet CFBAI’s strict Uniform Nutrition Criteria. Participants also do not advertise in elementary or middle schools.

Program Impact

21 leading food, beverage, and quick-service restaurants participate in CFBAI by developing individual pledges that set out how the company will meet the requirements of CFBAI’s Core Principles. Since CFBAI began in 2007, participants have reduced nutrients to limit, like added sugars or sodium, and added more food groups or important nutrients like calcium and Vitamin D in foods advertised to children. Some participants no longer advertise to children.

 

 

Broad Industry Representation

CFBAI’s 21 participants represent the majority of child-directed food advertising expenditures in the United States and most of the food advertising on children’s TV programming.

Extensive Media Coverage

The Core Principles cover child-directed advertising on TV, digital and mobile media (websites, video and computer games, apps, YouTube, product placements and integrations, and influencers), radio, print, and word of mouth.

Strict Uniform Nutrition Criteria

Foods advertised to children by CFBAI participants must meet CFBAI’s Uniform Nutrition Criteria, which set limits on calories, saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars, and minimum requirements for important food groups and key nutrients.

Strong Compliance Oversight

CFBAI monitors and evaluates the participants’ compliance with their pledge commitments, and companies also submit annual self-assessments. CFBAI publishes an annual report on compliance and progress.

Core Principles


CFBAI’s Core Principles set requirements regarding media coverage and nutrition criteria for food advertising to children. CFBAI has evolved over the years to respond to changes in the children’s advertising landscape. Recent updates include revising the advertising coverage of the program from “advertising primarily directed to children under age 12” to “advertising primarily directed to children under age 13” and expanding participants’ commitment to not advertise to children in elementary schools to also include children in middle schools.

                 

 

   

CFBAI News

Press Release

BBB National Programs Appoints Amy Steacy as General Counsel, Promotes New Leaders in Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising and Global Privacy

McLean, VA – June 4, 2024 – BBB National Programs announced the appointment of Amy Steacy as General Counsel. Additional leadership promotions include Daniel Range as Vice President of the Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI) and Dr. Divya Sridhar as Vice President, Global...

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Press Release

Companies Agree to Expand School Coverage under the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative Core Principles

McLean, VA – May 2, 2024 – Twenty-one of the nation’s leading food, beverage, and quick serve restaurant companies have agreed to strengthen their voluntary commitments for responsible food advertising to children under the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI) Core Principles.

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Press Release

Ferrara Joins the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative Pledge Program

McLean, VA – October 31, 2023 – The Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI) welcomes Ferrara Candy Company as the newest participant in the food advertising pledge program.

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Press Release

Lindt Joins the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative Pledge Program

McLean, VA – January 17, 2023 – The Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI) welcomes Lindt & Sprüngli and its subsidiaries, Ghirardelli Chocolate Company and Russell Stover Chocolates, as the newest participant in the food advertising pledge program.

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CFBAI Participants

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Frequently Asked Questions