Exposure and power of TV food advertising during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil: a content analysis.

BACKGROUND: With the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions imposed to contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the Brazilian population has increased the time spent at home and watching television (TV). Since food advertising exposure is a key driver of food choices, this study described the content of food advertisements (ads) on Brazilian TV during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This is an exploratory study. A total of 684 h of TV programming comprised of three free-to-air channels and two pay-per-view channels was recorded from 06 a.m. to 12 a.m. for eight non-consecutive days in June 2020. A content analysis of all the food-related ads was carried out. The data collection process followed INFORMAS Protocol for TV food advertising monitoring. RESULTS: The sample was composed of 7,083 ads, 752 (10.6%) of which were food-related and 487 (6.9%) were promoting ultra-processed foods. The content analysis indicated seven thematic categories, all of them with reference to the COVID-19 pandemic: brand and product differentials (79.8%); visual and sound effects (70.2%); thematic campaigns (56.0%); digitization (22.9%); convenience (16.5%); economic benefits (11.9%); and commensality and social interaction (6.1%). Ads content varied according to the day of the week, the time of the day, the length of the ad, and the channel type. CONCLUSIONS: The thematic of food advertising on Brazilian TV during the COVID-19 pandemic is aligned with the country's health crisis context and varied during the programming.

Revolutionising food advertising monitoring: a machine learning-based method for automated classification of food videos.

OBJECTIVE: Food advertising is an important determinant of unhealthy eating. However, analysing a large number of advertisements (ads) to distinguish between food and non-food content is a challenging task. This study aims to develop a machine learning-based method to automatically identify and classify food and non-food ad videos. DESIGN: Methodological study to develop an algorithm model that prioritises both accuracy and efficiency in monitoring and classifying advertising videos. SETTING: From a collection of Brazilian television (TV) ads data, we created a database and split it into three sub-databases (i.e. training, validation and test) by extracting frames from ads. Subsequently, the training database was classified using the EfficientNet neural network. The best models and data-balancing strategies were investigated using the validation database. Finally, the test database was used to apply the best model and strategy, and results were verified with field experts. PARTICIPANTS: The study used 2124 recorded Brazilian TV programming hours from 2018 to 2020. It included 703 food ads and over 20 000 non-food ads, following the protocol developed by the INFORMAS network for monitoring food marketing on TV. RESULTS: The results showed that the EfficientNet neural network associated with the balanced batches strategy achieved an overall accuracy of 90·5 % on the test database, which represents a reduction of 99·9 % of the time spent on identifying and classifying ads. CONCLUSIONS: The method studied represents a promising approach for differentiating food and non-food-related video within monitoring food marketing, which has significant practical implications for researchers, public health policymakers, and regulatory bodies.

Food for thought or food for emotions? An analysis of marketing strategies in television food advertising seen by children in Colombia.

OBJECTIVE: To establish the relationship between the marketing strategies and nutritional quality of foods and beverages promoted in television food advertisements (TV ads) seen by Colombian child audiences overall and based on child gender and socio-economic strata (SES). DESIGN: A quantitative content analysis of marketing appeals was combined with nutritional data of the food products advertised and matched with TV audience ratings data for each food and beverage ads for Colombian children between 4 and 11 years. SETTING: All beverages and foods TV ads cable or over-the-air channels in Colombia in 2017. PARTICIPANTS: N/A. RESULTS: Compared with rational appeals (e.g. freshness, health or nutrition messages), emotional appeals (referencing or depicting human senses or emotions, e.g. using cartoons to suggest fun) were more frequently used in the TV ads most viewed by Colombian children. Female children and children in lower SES tended to be more exposed to emotional appeals in TV ads than their male or higher SES counterparts. Furthermore, TV ads using more emotional appeals tended to be for products high in problematic nutrients. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study highlight the need to implement statutory measures to reduce the deleterious effect of food marketing on children.

A Scoping Review of Observational Studies on Food and Beverage Advertising on Social Media: A Public Health Perspective.

Popular social media platforms have been actively used by ultra-processed food companies to promote their products. Being exposed to this type of advertising increases the consumption of unhealthy foods and the risk of developing obesity and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Thus, monitoring commercial content on social media is a core public health practice. We aimed to characterize the methods used for monitoring food advertising on social media and summarize the investigated advertising strategies via a scoping review of observational studies. This study is reported according to the MOOSE Statement, and its protocol was registered with the PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (registration nº. CRD42020187740). Out of the 6093 citations retrieved, 26 met our eligibility criteria. The studies were published from 2014 to 2021, mostly after 2018. They focused on Australia, Facebook, strategies aimed at children and adolescents, and advertising practices of ultra-processed food companies. We grouped strategies in eight classes: post features (n = 18); connectivity and engagement (n = 18); economic advantages, gifts, or competitions (n = 14); claims (n = 14); promotional characters (n = 12); brand in evidence (n = 8); corporate social responsibility or philanthropy (n = 7); and COVID-19 (n = 3). We found similarities in the investigation of strategies regardless of the type of social media. Our findings can contribute to the designing of tools for monitoring studies and regulatory mechanisms to restrict the exposure of food advertising.

Alimentação saudável em encartes de supermercados: reflexões segundo a classificação de alimentos adotada no Guia Alimentar para a População Brasileira / Healthy eating in supermarket circulars: reflections according to the food classification adopted in dietary guidelines for the Brazilian population

Resumo O estudo visa avaliar a promoção dos subgrupos de AIN/MP anunciados em encartes de supermercados, considerando as características das redes e a tipologia dos encartes. Foram analisados encartes de cinco redes de supermercados da região metropolitana do Rio de Janeiro (junho/2019-maio/2020). Foram apresentados dados de abrangência e perfil socioeconômico das redes e tipo de encarte. Dos 68.110 alimentos, 30,6% são AIN/MP. Carnes/ovos foram mais promovidos (42,3%), seguido de frutas/hortaliças (20,2%) anunciados mais em encartes de hortifruti. Laticínios; cereais/farinhas/massas e bebidas/infusões representaram cerca de 10,0% dos anúncios. Leguminosas (3,8%), especiarias e cogumelos (0,2%) e oleaginosas (0,1%) foram pouco promovidos. Foram encontradas diferenças estatisticamente significativas na promoção de subgrupos segundo abrangência e perfil socioeconômico das redes. Frutas/hortaliças foram mais anunciadas em redes nacionais e voltadas para o público de alta renda em comparação às locais e voltadas para um público de média/baixa renda. Constatou-se desequilíbrio na promoção dos subgrupos de AIN/MP, com diferenças entre as redes e os tipos de encartes. Diante disto, deve-se dar luz à discussão sobre a regulação da promoção de alimentos no varejo alimentar.

Abstract The present study evaluated the promotion of natural/minimally processed foods (N/MPF) subgroups advertised in supermarket circulars by considering supermarket features and circular typology. We analyzed circulars published by five supermarket chains in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro (June/2019-May/2020) and present data on the socioeconomic coverage and profile of the supermarkets and the types of circulars. Of the 68,110 types of foods, 30.6% were N/MPF. Meat/eggs were the most promoted ones (42.3%), followed by fruits/vegetables (20.2%), which were more often advertised by produce shop circulars. Dairy products, cereals/flours/pasta and beverages/infusions made up around 10.0% of the ads. Legumes (3.8%), spices and mushrooms (0.2%) and oilseeds (0.1%) were rarely promoted. Statistically significant differences were found in the promotion of subgroups according to supermarket coverage and their socioeconomic profiles. Fruits/vegetables were more often advertised by national chains and aimed at a high-income public than by local companies and aimed at a low/middle-income public. Promotion of N/MPF subgroups was disproportional due to differences among chains and types of circulars. As a result, a discussion on the regulation of food promotion in food retail is required.

Análise de propostas legislativas brasileiras sobre a publicidade de alimentos / Analysis of Brazilian legislative proposals on food advertising

Introdução: O consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados está crescendo no Brasil e tem como um de seus determinantes a exposição à publicidade de alimentos não saudáveis, especialmente de crianças. Apesar disso, as normas brasileiras governamentais não têm se mostrado efetivas na proteção da exposição da população ao conteúdo de publicidade desses alimentos, enquanto a atuação autorregulatória apresenta limitações. Conhecer as propostas legislativas brasileiras no tema tornará possível pensar caminhos para a redução da exposição da população ao conteúdo publicitário sobre alimentos não saudáveis. Objetivo: Analisar a conteúdo de propostas legislativas sobre a publicidade de alimentos no Brasil. Metodologia: Este estudo de análise documental se dividiu na (i) construção de um glossário com termos específicos das áreas de saúde pública, nutrição, publicidade e legislação, a fim de oferecer um referencial terminológico para a análise, e na (ii) coleta, organização e compilação de um banco de textos, permitindo análises quantitativas e qualitativas dos dados de propostas legislativas de publicidade de alimentos. Foram utilizados três tipos de análise: Classificação Hierárquica Descendente, Análise Fatorial Confirmatória e Análise de Similitude, com auxílio do software IRAMUTEQ. O banco de textos foi organizado a partir da coleta de dados no site do Congresso Nacional, usando-se os termos de busca "marketing de alimentos", "propaganda de alimentos", "publicidade de alimentos", "promoção de alimentos", "comunicação mercadológica" e "divulgação de alimentos". Resultados: Foi produzido um glossário com 29 termos a fim de clarificar conceitos relacionados à regulação de publicidade de alimentos em território nacional. O banco de textos foi composto por 19 resultados relevantes. As propostas analisadas possuem cerca de 20 anos, sendo que a maioria das iniciativas vêm da Câmara dos Deputados. Seis das propostas estabelecem atualização do Decreto-Lei Nº 986/1969. Dentre os textos mais significativos, destaca-se uma proposta de emenda constitucional que incluiria alimentos e bebidas na lista de produtos sujeitos a regulamentações de publicidade comercial e quatro propostas similares que contemplam a regulamentação da publicidade de forma ampla. Apenas duas propostas estão em tramitação. Durante a análise textual, foram identificadas quatro grandes classes temáticas: Saúde (37,3% do corpus analisado), Regulamento (35,4%), Aspecto Comercial (12,9%) e Teor Nutricional (14,5%). A classe Saúde corresponde a palavras relacionadas a sintomas de uma população ligados ao consumo de alimentos não-saudáveis. A classe Regulamento contém palavras que se referem a regulamentação legislativa sobre publicidade. A classe Aspecto Comercial, como o nome diz, inclui palavras que se referem a aspectos comerciais dos alimentos (ex: rótulo, aditivo, sabor). A classe Teor Nutricional apresenta termos relacionados a informação nutricional dos alimentos. A análise fatorial confirmatória corroborou a distribuição de palavras em quatro classes temáticas. A análise de similitude identificou cinco ramificações principais a partir da palavra central "alimento", que se relacionam com a legislação, propaganda, público infantil, obesidade e gordura/trans/saturado/sódio. Conclusão: As análises indicam que as propostas são alinhadas à tendências globais sobre medidas de prevenção à obesidade. Contudo, a tramitação de projetos é lenta e complexa, além de sofrer interferências de setores econômicos.

Introduction: The consumption of ultra-processed foods is growing in Brazil, and one of its determinants is the exposure to unhealthy food advertising, especially targeting children. However, Brazilian government regulations have not proven effective in protecting the population from the content of advertising for these foods, while selfregulation has its limitations. Understanding the Brazilian legislative proposals on this topic will make it possible to consider paths to reduce the population's exposure to advertising content on unhealthy foods. Objective: To analyze the content of legislative proposals on food advertising in Brazil. Methodology: This document analysis study was divided into (i) the construction of a glossary with specific terms from the fields of public health, nutrition, advertising, and legislation to provide a terminological framework for the analysis, and (ii) the collection, organization, and compilation of a text database, allowing for quantitative and qualitative analyses of legislative proposals on food advertising. Three types of analysis were used: Descendant Hierarchical Classification, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, and Similarity Analysis, with the assistance of the software IRAMUTEQ. The text database was organized based on data collected from the website of the National Congress, using the search terms "food marketing," "food advertising," "food promotion," "commercial communication," and "food disclosure." Results: A glossary was produced with 29 terms to clarify concepts related to the regulation of food advertising in the national territory. The text database consisted of 19 relevant results. The analyzed proposals are approximately 20 years old, with the majority of initiatives coming from the Chamber of Deputies. Six of the proposals establish updates to Decree-Law No. 986/1969. Among the most significant texts, there is a proposed constitutional amendment that would include food and beverages in the list of products subject to regulations on commercial advertising, as well as four similar proposals that address advertising regulation broadly. Only two proposals are currently under consideration. During the textual analysis, four major thematic classes were identified: Health (37.3% of the analyzed corpus), Regulation (35.4%), Commercial Aspect (12.9%), and Nutritional Content (14.5%). The Health class corresponds to words related to symptoms of a population associated with the consumption of unhealthy foods. The Regulation class contains words referring to legislative regulation on advertising. The Commercial Aspect class includes words related to commercial aspects of foods (e.g., labeling, additives, flavor). The Nutritional Content class presents terms related to nutritional information of foods. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the distribution of words into these four thematic classes. The similarity analysis identified five main branches from the central word "food," which are related to legislation, advertising, children as the target audience, obesity, and fat/trans/saturated/sodium. Conclusion: The analyses indicate that the proposals align with global trends regarding obesity prevention measures. However, project processing is slow and complex, and it faces interference from economic sectors.

Marketing communication strategies on labels of food products consumed by children / Estratégias de comunicação mercadológica em rótulos de alimentos consumidos por crianças

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: Analyze marketing communication strategies (MCS) of labels of food products consumed by children under 5 years of age from the Brazilian National Health System (SUS) in the city of Rio de Janeiro. METHODS: In total, 390 labels of ultra-processed foods and industrialized baby foods were analyzed. The products were organized by similarity into 24 groups. Photographs of labels from each group were analyzed to identify the MCS, which were categorized into "presence of characters and/or celebrities," "emotional appeal," "freebies offering," "health appeal," "sensory stimulation," "brand or slogan use," "promotional price," "advertisement under advertisement," and "sustainability appeal." The percentage frequency of labels according to the number of MCS per label; the total and average frequency of MCS according to the food group; the frequency of MCS type according to the food group; and communication resources by type of MCS were computed. RESULTS: 1 to 19 strategies were found per label and an average of 7.2 MCS per label, totaling 2,792 occurrences. The MCS "sensory stimulation," "health appeal," "brand or slogan use," and "advertisement under advertising" were observed in all food groups. "Freebies offering" and "promotional price" were observed in eight and six food groups, respectively. In food groups of bread; dairy products; and sweets, candies, and goodies, all nine types of MCS included in the study were identified. The groups that presented fewer types of MCS (n=5) were: peanuts, instant noodles, and margarines. Of the total MCS identified on the labels, the most frequent were "sensory stimulation" (29.4%) and "health appeal" (18.2%); and the least frequent were "freebies offering" (0.8%) and "promotional price" (0.4%). The "emotional appeal" strategy presented the highest diversity of communication resources. CONCLUSION: Rigorous regulatory measures are required to protect consumers from massive exposure to MCS on food labels.

RESUMO OBJETIVO: Analisar estratégias de comunicação mercadológica (ECM) presentes em rótulos de produtos efetivamente consumidos por crianças menores de 5 anos usuárias do Sistema Único de Saúde na cidade do Rio de Janeiro. MÉTODOS: Foram analisados 390 rótulos de alimentos ultraprocessados e papas infantis industrializadas. Os produtos foram organizados por similaridade em 24 grupos. Realizou-se a análise das fotografias dos rótulos de cada grupo para a identificação das ECM, que foram categorizadas em: "presença de personagens e/ou celebridades", "apelo emocional", "oferta de brindes", "apelo à saúde", "estímulos aos sentidos", "uso da marca ou slogan", "preço promocional", "propaganda sob propaganda" e "apelo à sustentabilidade". Foram computadas: frequência percentual de rótulos segundo número de ECM por rótulo; frequência total e média de ECM segundo grupo de alimentos; frequência do tipo de ECM segundo grupo de alimentos; e recursos comunicacionais por tipo de ECM. RESULTADOS: Constataram-se de uma a 19 estratégias por rótulo e média de 7,2 ECM por rótulo, totalizando 2.792 ocorrências. As ECM "estímulo aos sentidos", "apelo à saúde", "uso da marca ou slogan" e "propaganda sob propaganda" foram observadas em todos os grupos de alimentos. Já "oferta de brindes" e "preço promocional" apareceram em oito e seis grupos de alimentos, respectivamente. Nos grupos pães, lácteos e doces, balas e guloseimas, foram identificados os nove tipos de ECM incluídos no estudo. Os grupos que apresentaram menos tipos de ECM (n = 5) foram: amendoins, macarrões instantâneos e margarinas. Do total de ECM identificadas nos rótulos, as mais recorrentes foram "estímulo aos sentidos" (29,4%) e "apelo à saúde" (18,2%); e as menos frequentes foram "oferta de brindes" (0,8%) e "preço promocional" (0,4%). A ECM "apelo emocional" apresentou a maior diversidade de recursos comunicacionais. CONCLUSÃO: São necessárias medidas regulatórias rigorosas que protejam o consumidor da massiva exposição às ECM em rótulos de alimentos.

Food advertising on YouTube channels aimed at children in Brazil / Publicidade de alimentos em canais do YouTube direcionados à criança no Brasil

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To analyze food advertising on YouTube channels aimed at children in Brazil and the interaction of the public with this type of advertising. METHODS We analyzed the 10 most popular videos from the 25 YouTube most-watched channels with content aimed at children in the country in 2018. The presence of general advertising, food brands and food services was identified. When there was advertising in the videos, the foods and their respective brands were described, the first being classified according to the NOVA system. In cases of advertising of a specific food brand without its product having been displayed or mentioned, the classification was carried out according to the predominance of that company products. The number of visualizations and interactions ("likes" and "dislikes") was also collected. RESULTS General advertising was identified in 45.6% of videos, while food and food service advertising was present in 12.9% and 1.6% of videos, respectively. Food advertisements were mostly represented by ultra-processed products (n = 30; 93.8%). In channels led by Kid YouTubers, there was a higher frequency of general advertising, food and food services in the videos. In these channels, the advertisements of food in general and ultra-processed foods were respectively 2.79 and 2.53 times higher than in videos of channels not led by Kid YouTubers. The number of times videos were tagged "liked" was higher in videos with food advertising (1.67 × 105) compared to videos without food advertising (1.02 × 105), p = 0.0272. CONCLUSION YouTube is a potential medium for children's exposure and interaction with ultra-processed food advertising. The results of this analysis reinforce the importance of enforcing regulations prohibiting children's advertising on this platform.

RESUMO OBJETIVO Analisar a publicidade de alimentos em canais do YouTube direcionados à criança no Brasil e a interação do público com esse tipo de publicidade. MÉTODOS Foram analisados os 10 vídeos mais populares dos 25 canais do YouTube com conteúdo dirigido ao público infantil mais assistidos no país em 2018. Identificou-se a presença de publicidade geral, de marcas de alimentos e de serviços de alimentação. Quando houve publicidade nos vídeos, os alimentos e suas respectivas marcas foram descritos, sendo os primeiros classificados segundo o sistema NOVA. Nos casos de publicidade de uma marca de alimentos específica, sem que o seu produto tenha sido exibido ou mencionado, a classificação foi realizada segundo a predominância dos produtos dessa empresa. Coletou-se, também, o número de visualizações e de interações ("gostei" e "não gostei"). RESULTADOS A publicidade geral foi identificada em 45,6% dos vídeos, enquanto a publicidade de alimentos e de serviços de alimentação esteve presente em 12,9% e 1,6% dos vídeos, respectivamente. Os anúncios de alimentos foram representados em sua maioria por produtos ultraprocessados (n = 30; 93,8%). Em vídeos de canais liderados por youtubers mirins, observou-se uma maior frequência de publicidade geral, de alimentos e de serviços de alimentação. Nesses canais, as veiculações de publicidade de alimentos em geral e de alimentos ultraprocessados foram respectivamente 2,79 e 2,53 vezes maior do que nos vídeos de canais não liderados por youtubers mirins. O número de vezes em que os vídeos foram marcados com "gostei" foi maior nos vídeos com publicidade de alimentos (1,67 × 105) em comparação aos vídeos sem publicidade de alimentos (1,02 × 105), p = 0,0272. CONCLUSÃO O YouTube é um potencial meio de exposição e interação de crianças com a publicidade de alimentos ultraprocessados. Os resultados desta análise reforçam a importância de fazer cumprir a regulamentação de proibição de publicidade infantil nessa plataforma.

Idas y venidas del diseño de la política de alimentación saludable en el Perú: análisis comparativo de sus documentos regulatorios / The comings and goings of the design of the healthy eating policy in Peru: a comparative analysis of its regulatory documents

La venta de productos ultraprocesados y el sobrepeso y la obesidad han aumentado en América Latina en los últimos años. En el Perú, se aprobó la Ley N° 30021 en busca de reducir el sobrepeso y la obesidad en niños y adolescentes, sin embargo, el desarrollo de esta Ley se caracterizó por tener continuas modificaciones en los diversos documentos elaborados. El propósito de este artículo es identificar cambios esenciales en los documentos elaborados por el Gobierno y el Congreso en el marco de la Ley N° 30021, específicamente en los temas de regulación de la publicidad de alimentos y bebidas no alcohólicas, advertencias publicitarias y parámetros técnicos de nutrientes críticos. Los cambios identificados en los diferentes documentos muestran el dinamismo en el desarrollo de esta política donde la falta de evidencia científica oportuna, la oposición de la industria alimentaria y la falta de consenso político fueron los principales motivos.

The sale of ultra-processed products has increased in Latin America in recent years, as well as the prevalence of overweight and obesity. In Peru, Law No. 30021 passed in an attempt to reduce overweight and obesity in children and adolescents; however, the development of this law was characterized by constant modifications to the documents prepared in this regard. This article aims to identify essential modifications in the documents elaborated by the Government and the Congress within the timeframe of Law No. 30021, particularly those regarding the regulation of food and non-alcoholic beverage advertising, advertising warnings and technical parameters of critical nutrients. The lack of timely scientific evidence, the opposition by the food industry and the lack of political consensus were the main reasons for the detected modifications, which shows the dynamism during the development of this policy.

Advertising of foods and beverages in social media aimed at children: high exposure and low control.

BACKGROUND: This work is aimed to describe the recent scientific literature developed in the food/beverage sector and social networks aimed at children and adolescents, as well as current regulations. METHODS: A rapid review of the studies on advertising and social media aimed at children, published from 2010 tp 2020 is carried out, following the established inclusion criteria. In addition, the regulations in the countries in which the studies were carried out were also reviewed. RESULTS: Of the 573 articles, 7 met these criteria. The great attraction of unhealthy foods for children is observed, who remembered and recognized a greater number of unhealthy food brands and, by extension, the ability to influence of communication in social networks. Each country has its own self-regulation, two (Ireland and USA) have legislation on children's food advertising, and Australia has legislation that applies only to open television. However, none of the analyzed countries have specific regulations on food, children and media advertising. CONCLUSIONS: Given the fact that there is evidence about the great attraction that social networks suppose for the child, that they are a stimulus for the consumption of food and that many of these foods are harmful to their health; we should work in two directions: 1) Promote public policies based on promoting healthy habits among minors; and 2) Monitor and implement regulations in commercial communication social media.

Food promoted on an online food delivery platform in a Brazilian metropolis during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse food advertised on an online food delivery (OFD) platform during 16 weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. DESIGN: Longitudinal study. We randomly selected foods advertised on the OFD app's home page, classifying the food items into water; natural juices and smoothies; vegetables; fruits; traditional meals and pasta; ultra-processed beverages; ice cream and candies, and salty packaged snacks; sandwiches; savoury snacks; and pizza. We also registered the marketing strategies used to promote the food items, such as photos, discounts, 'combo deals', and messages on healthiness, value for the money, tastiness, and pleasure. SETTING: Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: 1,593 food items. RESULTS: In general, the OFD platform most commonly promoted traditional meals and pasta, ultra-processed beverages, and sandwiches-these food groups were offered 20-25% of the time during the 16 weeks. There were no promotions for water during the whole period, and the least common promotions were those for natural juices and smoothies, vegetables, and fruits (<5%). The most common food promotion strategies were photos (>80%) and discounts (>95%), while approximately 30% of the offers featured combo deals. Messages on tastiness, pleasure, and value for the money varied from 15% to 40%. CONCLUSION: Although the OFD platform offered traditional meals and pasta, most of the foods and beverages advertised were unhealthy and promoted with persuasive strategies. This finding highlights a growing public health concern: an increase in unhealthy eating patterns during the pandemic.

Associação entre padrão de publicidade e alimento ultraprocessado em pequenos mercados / Association between advertising patterns and ultra-processed food in small markets

Resumo O objetivo deste artigo é caracterizar os apelos publicitários presentes no ambiente alimentar para comercializar alimentos ultraprocessados e analisar o perfil nutricional desses alimentos segundo critérios da OPAS e presença de aditivos alimentares. Estudo transversal, com dados auditados em 20 pequenos supermercados de São Paulo. O protocolo INFORMAS foi utilizado para classificar as mensagens publicitárias. Os alimentos foram classificados segundo a NOVA. O perfil nutricional da OPAS foi utilizado para classificar os alimentos elevados em nutrientes críticos. Os padrões de publicidade foram identificados por análise fatorial. A associação entre os padrões e os grupos de alimentos foi investigada por regressão linear. Mais de 95% dos alimentos ultraprocessados tinham pelo menos um nutriente crítico em excesso. Verificou-se associação positiva entre o padrão nova marca, divertido e vantajoso com salgadinhos, produtos pré-prontos, lácteos e biscoitos, e entre o padrão nova marca e uso sugerido com lácteos. A padronização da publicidade de alimentos nos pequenos comércios varejistas está associada à oferta de salgadinhos, produtos lácteos, alimentos pré-prontos e biscoitos, produtos que excedem em nutrientes críticos.

Abstract This article aims to characterize the advertising appeals present in the food environment to market ultra-processed foods and to analyze the nutritional profile of these foods according to PAHO criteria and the presence of food additives. Cross-sectional study, with data audited in 20 small supermarkets in São Paulo. The INFORMAS protocol was used to classify the advertising messages. The foods were classified according to NOVA. The PAHO profile model was used to classify foods high in critical nutrients. Advertising patterns were identified by factor analysis. The association between patterns and food groups was investigated by linear regression. More than 95% of the ultraprocessed foods had at least 1 critical nutrient in excess. There was a positive association between the new brand, fun and advantageous pattern with snacks, ready-made products, dairy products and cookies; between the new brand and suggested use pattern with dairy products. The standardization of food advertising in small retail stores is associated with offering snacks, dairy products, ready-to-eat foods and cookies, products that exceed critical nutrients.

Advertising patterns of a fast-food chain on social media in Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the advertising patterns on the posts of a fast-food chain in Brazil on three social media platforms in 2019. DESIGN: An exploratory cross-sectional study. SETTING: Advertising strategies on the posts of a major fast-food chain on their official Facebook, Instagram and YouTube accounts. The strategies were investigated according to the INFORMAS protocol for food promotion monitoring. Principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to identify advertising patterns in each platform. PARTICIPANTS: 305 advertisements. RESULTS: Four advertising patterns were identified in the PCA of Facebook and Instagram. In both platforms, the components for kids and product exaltation were similar. On Facebook, a pattern corresponding to economic appeal was identified as price and discount, while on Instagram, this pattern also included a practical approach. On Facebook, the fourth component was named celebrity, while on Instagram it was celebrity/innovation since on this second social media the component also included the 'new brand development' variable. On YouTube, three advertising patterns were identified in PCA. Similar to the other platforms, the first and the second patterns were called for kids and price and discount, and the third component referred to both celebrity and commemorative dates. CONCLUSIONS: The advertising patterns of the fast-food chain on three social media platforms were commonly directed to children and addressed price, discounts and the celebrities' universe. The findings of this study corroborate other data in the literature regarding unhealthy food advertising on social media. This study discusses the urgency of regulating food advertising content on this medium.

TV advertising and dietary intake in adolescents: a pre- and post- study of Chile's Food Marketing Policy.

BACKGROUND: The first phase of a comprehensive marketing policy was implemented in Chile in 2016. The policy restricted child-directed marketing of foods and beverages considered high in energy, total sugars, sodium or saturated fat ("high-in"). The objective of this study was to examine the role of high-in TV food advertising as a mediator in the association between policy implementation and consumption of high-in foods and beverages between 2016 and 2017. METHODS: Dietary data were from 24-hour diet recalls collected in 2016 and 2017 in a cohort of 12-14 y children (n = 721). Television use was assessed concurrently and linked to analyses of food advertisements on broadcast and paid television to derive individual-level estimates of exposure to high-in food advertising. A multilevel mediation analysis examined direct and indirect effects of the policy through advertising exposure. RESULTS: Following the policy implementation, high-in advertising exposure was significantly reduced (p < 0.01). High-in food intake decreased in adolescents with lower levels, but not higher levels, of high-in advertising at baseline. We did not find evidence of mediation by changes in high-in ad exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents' exposure to high-in TV advertising decreased after the 2016 implementation of the Chilean Food Labeling and Marketing Law. However, evidence that changes in advertisement mediated dietary changes was not found. Further research is needed to understand how marketing changes will relate to dietary changes after full implementation of the law and in the long term.

Food marketing in supermarket circulars in Brazil: An obstacle to healthy eating.

The study aims to characterize the foods advertised in supermarket circulars in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, as well as to analyze the price and discounts applied to the products. Supermarket circulars were obtained from five supermarket chains during 2018. Foods were classified according to the NOVA classification system and the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) nutritional profile model. Advertised prices, with and without discount, were recorded. Ultra-processed foods responded for 66.9% of ads, followed by fresh or minimally processed foods with 19.9%, processed foods with 9.5%, and processed culinary ingredients with 3.7%. Only 3.5% of the products did not exceed any critical nutrients of the PAHO model. Processed foods had a higher cost (R$3.27/100 g) in relation to other food categories. Products excessive in trans-fat and sodium were statistically significant cheaper when compared to those that did not present inadequacy of these nutrients. The reverse was verified for foods excessive in saturated fat, in total fat and in added sugars. Processed culinary ingredients were more frequent on sale (27.7%), while processed foods were the least advertised with discount (15.9%). Products that were adequate in saturated fat, trans fat, total fat and added sugar were statistically significant more announced with discount. Processed culinary ingredients presented the lowest percentage of discount (13.5%). The study confirms the position of supermarket circulars in Brazil as an obstacle to healthy eating, due to the higher incidence of processed and ultra-processed food advertisements, although no greater financial stimulus was noted for these products.

Regulación de la publicidad de alimentos y bebidas dirigida a la población infantil: el derecho a la información / Regulation of food and beverage advertising targeting children: the right to information

Resumen: Objetivo: Documentar la evolución de los marcos reguladores de la publicidad de alimentos y bebidas no alcohólicas (PABNA) dirigida a la población infantil (PI) en México. Material y métodos: Revisión documental de las leyes, reglamentos y lineamientos encargados de regular la PABNA publicados en el Diario Oficial de la Federación (DOF) desde 1926 hasta 2016. Resultados: Se revisaron 18 documentos del DOF, se identificaron ventajas y limitaciones que tienen los marcos reguladores respecto a la PABNA dirigida a la PI y cómo se ha adecuado la regulación a los cambios en los medios de comunicación. Conclusiones: Es necesario implementar una regulación estricta sobre la PABNA dirigida a la PI, la cual evite mensajes que promuevan el consumo de productos de baja calidad nutrimental, relacionados con el incremento de prevalencias de sobrepeso, obesidad y enfermedades crónicas.

Abstract: Objective: To document how regulatory frameworks of food and non-alcoholic beverage advertising (FABA) that are directed towards children in Mexico have evolved since 1926. Materials and methods: Document analysis of laws, regulations and guidelines regarding FABA regulations that were published in the Official Gazette (OG) from 1926 - 2016. Results: 18 documents from the OG were reviewed. Advantages and limitations of the regulatory frameworks were identified. This analysis provided an understanding of how FABA directed to children has been regulated and how it has adapted to changes in the media. Conclusions: A strict regulation of FABA directed to children is needed, specifically to control messages that promote the consumption of products with low nutritional quality as this is related to increasing prevalence of overweight, obesity and chronic diseases.

Use of persuasive strategies in food advertising on television and on social media in Brazil.

We analyzed the use of persuasive advertising strategies by 18 food brands on TV and Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube in Brazil in April 2018. Advertising strategies were investigated from three groups: power of advertising strategies (n = 10) (e.g., use of licensed character, celebrities, awards, etc), use of the prize offering (n = 9) (e.g., pay 2 take 3 or more, gifts or collectable, limited edition, etc), and use of brand benefit claims (n = 8) (e.g., messages that exalt sensory-based characteristics such as flavor, taste, aroma and recommend how to use/consume the product, etc). Almost 90% of the brands were ultra-processed foods producers and they carried 52 ads on TV and 194 posts on social media platforms. A higher frequency of the strategy 'cartoon/company owned character' was found on TV ads (19.2%; p < 0.0001) in comparison to social media platforms (0% on the three platforms) while the presence of 'famous sportsperson/team' prevailed on YouTube (41.4%) in comparison to TV (19.2%), Facebook (10.9%) and Instagram (9.1%), p < 0.0001. On YouTube ads, the claims 'sensory-based characteristics' (86.2%), 'suggested use' (51.7%), and 'emotive claims' (31.0%) were more commonly seen in comparison to the other media, while the claims about 'new brand developments' (23.1%), 'price' (9.6%) and 'suggesting to children and the whole family to use the advertised product' (21.1%) prevailed on TV. Ultra-processed food brands are the main food companies that advertise on Brazilian TV and social media and the message transmitted by these brands varies in each media according to the advertising strategies that are used.

Examining Chile's unique food marketing policy: TV advertising and dietary intake in preschool children, a pre- and post- policy study.

BACKGROUND: The Chilean government implemented the first phase of a comprehensive marketing policy in 2016, restricting child-directed marketing of products high in energy, total sugars, sodium or saturated fat (hereafter "high-in"). OBJECTIVES: To examine the role that high-in TV food advertising had in the effect of the policy on consumption of high-in products between 2016 and 2017. METHODS: Dietary data were obtained from 24-hour diet recall measured in 2016 (n = 940) and 2017 (n = 853), pre- and post-policy, from a cohort of 4 to 6 years children. Television use was linked to analyses of food advertisements to derive individual-level estimates of exposure to advertising. A multilevel mediation analysis examined direct and indirect effects of the policy through advertising exposure. RESULTS: Children's high-in food consumption and advertising exposure declined significantly from 2016 to 2017 (P < .01). Consumption changes were not significantly mediated by changes in advertising exposure, which might suggest other elements of the Chilean Law potentially driving decreases in consumption to a greater extent than TV ads. CONCLUSIONS: Preschoolers' exposure to high-in advertising and consumption of high-in products decreased post-policy. Further research is needed to understand how marketing changes will relate to dietary changes after full implementation of the law and in the long term.

Extent and nutritional quality of foods and beverages to which children are exposed in Colombian TV food advertising.

OBJECTIVE: To examine children's exposure to food and beverage advertising across a year of Colombian television based on whether products exceed Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO)-defined nutrient thresholds. DESIGN: Nutritional information was obtained for all foods and beverages advertised and used to categorise each product according to the product category (e.g. beverage, snack food) and nutritional quality based on the PAHO model for identifying products in excess of free sugars, Na or saturated fat or containing non-caloric sweeteners or trans-fat. Television audience ratings data were used to derive the average child audience (unique child viewers) per ad and the number of times ads were seen by children in a single week (weekly impressions) based on product category and nutritional quality. SETTING: All food and beverage ads on cable and over-the-air TV in Colombia in 2017. PARTICIPANTS: N/A. RESULTS: Of all instances of TV ads, 89·3 % were of unhealthy products. A larger proportion of male and female children, as well as children from low (88·01 %), mid (89·10 %) and high (89·10 %) socio-economic status, are exposed to advertising of unhealthy products, but no significant difference was found between these proportions. CONCLUSION: The majority of foods and beverages advertised to Colombian children are unhealthy. These findings highlight a need to implement statutory measures to reduce children's exposure to unhealthy food advertising in Colombia, as obesity and overweight have been increasing among school-age children in Colombia, and exposure to television advertising of unhealthy foods is a known contributor to children's food intake and obesity.

Governmental policies to reduce unhealthy food marketing to children.

Reducing children's exposure to food marketing is an important obesity prevention strategy. This narrative review describes current statutory regulations that restrict food marketing; reviews available evidence on the effects of these regulations; and compares policy design elements in Chile and the United Kingdom. Currently, 16 countries have statutory regulations on unhealthy food marketing to children. Restrictions on television advertising, primarily during children's programming, are most common. Schools are also a common setting for restrictions. Regulations on media such as cinema, mobile phone applications, print, packaging, and the internet are uncommon. Eleven evaluations of policies in 4 jurisdictions found small or no policy-related reductions in unhealthy food advertising, in part because marketing shifted to other programs or venues; however, not all policies have been evaluated. Compared with the United Kingdom, Chile restricts marketing on more products, across a wider range of media, using more marketing techniques. Future research should examine which elements of food marketing policy design are most effective at reducing children's exposure to unhealthy food marketing.