Food marketing on digital platforms: what do teens see?

Objective: Given the aggressive marketing of foods and beverages to teenagers on digital platforms, and the paucity of research documenting teen engagement with food marketing and its persuasive content, the objective of this study is to examine what teenagers see as teen-targeted food marketing on four popular digital platforms and to provide insight into the persuasive power of that marketing.

Design: This is an exploratory, participatory research study, in which teenagers used a special mobile app to capture all teen-targeted food and beverage marketing they saw on digital media for 7 d. For each ad, participants identified the brand, product and specific appeals that made it teen-targeted, as well as the platform on which it was found.

Food branding and young children's taste preferences: a reassessment.

Objectives: This study examines the effects of branding and packaging on young children's taste preferences.

Methods: Preschool children aged 3 to 5 (n=65) tasted five pairs of identical foods in packaging from McDonald's and in matched packaging that was either plain, Starbucks-branded, or colourful (but unbranded). Children were asked if the foods tasted the same or if one tasted better.

Toddler foods, children's foods: assessing sodium in packaged supermarket foods targeted at children.

Objective: To critically examine child-oriented packaged food products sold in Canada for their sodium content, and to assess them light of intake recommendations, the current policy context and suggested targets.

Design: Baby/toddler foods (n 186) and child-oriented packaged foods (n 354) were coded for various attributes (including sodium). Summary statistics were created for sodium, then the children's food products were compared with the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) 'targets' for sodium in packaged foods.

Sweet and salty: nutritional content and analysis of baby and toddler foods.

Background: To critically examine baby and toddler food products sold in Canada for their sugar and sodium content, and to assess these in light of current recommendations.

Methods: Baby and toddler foods (n = 186) were coded for various attributes, including 'Nutrition Facts' label data. Four 'categories' of baby/toddler foods were analyzed against their 'adult' counterparts for sugar and salt to reveal whether a 'halo effect' attributed to baby/toddler food is warranted.