Cartoon heroes enticing children to eat junk food

Food manufacturers are enlisting a legion of cartoon characters to market unhealthy food to children despite the introduction of new rules restricting the promotion of junk food, according to new research.

Consumer group Which? found Shrek, Spider-Man and other licensed and own-brand characters using their special appeal to children to sell sugary breakfast cereals, biscuits and chocolate.

In a report published today, Cartoon Heroes and Villains, Which? said that although organisations such as the BBC and Disney had adopted responsible attitudes, many film studios had not stopped lending their animated characters to HFSS (high in fat, salt or sugar) products.

The promotions come despite the introduction of a ban on television advertisements for foods designated by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) as HFSS during children's television programmes. In July, a ban halted the use of licensed characters on television advertisements for junk food aimed at pre-school and primary school children.

Which? complained that companies could still use licensed characters as well as their own cartoon characters such as Frosties Tony the Tiger to advertise junk food during prime-time. Companies also use children's cartoons on packaging and on their websites.

A Which? survey found that 75 per cent of parents thought companies acted irresponsibly by using cartoon characters in this way.

The consumer group bought food marketed using cartoon characters between March and June 2007 and asked experts to analyse whether they fell into the FSA's definition of "less healthy". Among the "cartoon villains", animated penguins from Happy Feet were promoting the cereal Weetos, Scooby Doo sold mini-pizza breadsticks and cookies, and Winnie the Pooh loaned his appeal to chocolate bars and fruit gums.

The Pink Panther was displayed on Northumbrian Fine Foods' fatty and sugary Jammy Wheels. Dreamworks licensed Shrek to high-sugar Frosties while Twentieth Century Fox licensed The Simpsons to popcorn-maker Butterkist and Bratz dolls and the Pink Panther promoted biscuits.

The companies behind the "villains" were Dreamworks, Disney, Aardman, Warner Bros, MGM, Twentieth Century Fox and Marvel Characters.

Fast-food chains were criticised for running giveaway promotions using popular cartoon characters.

"There are precious few examples of cartoons being used to promote healthy products," said Which? policy advisor Sue Davies. "The majority are being used to encourage children to eat fatty, sugary and salty foods."

Which? called for regulation to protect children from irresponsible marketing of unhealthy foods.

Responding to the report, the Food and Drink Federation's spokesman, Julian Hunt, said: "The UK already has some of the strictest regulations in the world when it comes to advertising and promoting food and drink products to children, and industry is fully complying with these rules."

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