Burger King joins advertising initiative

Source: Food and Drink Digital

Date :9/20/2007 9:37:11 AM

Burger King Corp. has joined the Better Business Bureaus’ (BBB) Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative.

Burger King becomes the 12th major food marketer and second quick service restaurant chain to join the program.

BBB also approved Burger King Corp.'s pledge, in which the company committed that, effective December 31, 2008, 100 percent of its advertising directed primarily to children under 12 will be for Kids Meals that meet Burger King Corp.'s newly adopted Nutrition Criteria.

"We are gratified that Burger King Corp. has joined this important program," says Elaine D. Kolish, Director of the Initiative. "Burger King Corp. will be joining with 11 other market leaders in setting nutritional criteria for the foods they will advertise in media primarily directed to children under 12. These commitments will help shift the mix of food advertising to kids. Moreover, the Initiative's third party monitoring and reporting provisions will foster trust in these commitments."

As part of its pledge, Burger King Corp. has adopted Nutrition Criteria to guide future decisions on food and beverage products it advertises to children under 12 years old. By December 2008 such advertising will be limited to Kids Meals providing:

No more than 560 calories per meal

Less than 30 percent of calories from fat

Less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fat

No added trans fats

No more than 10 percent of calories from added sugars

The Burger King Corp.'s Nutrition Criteria is based primarily on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005. Burger King Corp. will be testing Kids Meals that meet the nutrition criteria. One meal includes Flame Broiled Chicken Tenders (4 piece), Mott’s Organic Unsweetened Apple Sauce, and Hershey’s 1% Low Fat White Milk.

In addition, as provided by the terms of the Initiative, Burger King Corp. will:

Restrict advertising to children under 12, which uses third-party licensed characters, to Kids Meals meeting its Nutrition Criteria

Refrain from advertising in elementary schools and from product placement in media primarily aimed at children under 12

Limit food depicted on food content pages of company-owned Web sites primarily directed to children under 12 to Kids Meals meeting its Nutrition Criteria

Limit the use of food and beverages shown in interactive games to Kids Meals that meet its Nutrition Criteria