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Evaluation of the Food Charter - 2022 edition
Translations are provided as a service to Arcom users and are supplied “as is”, throught the DeepL tool. Consequently, only the text of the original version is authentic.
This report covers the second year of application of the Charter 2020-2024. Its purpose is to assess the implementation and effectiveness of all the commitments, to report on the actions taken by the signatories within this framework, and to formulate notices for their attention and that of the authorities.
Introduction
Audiovisual media play an essential role in raising awareness among audiences, especially youngsters, of the importance of a balanced diet, regular physical activity and restful sleep.
As early as 2009, under the supervision of Arcom, publishers, advertisers, producers, agencies and other online advertising operators committed to a voluntary approach in support of the national public health policy through a food charter. Since then, Arcom has been reporting on the proper application of the current charter through a detailed report sent to Parliament, in accordance with the obligation introduced into article 14 of the law of September 30, 1986 by law no. 2016-1771 of December 20, 2016.
On December 20, 2021, Arcom published the first application report for the third food charter signed in January 2020. For the first time, this report included an evaluation of the relevance and effectiveness of the commitments made under the charter with regard to the public health objectives pursued, namely to effectively reduce children's exposure to audiovisual commercial communications relating to foodstuffs or beverages containing nutrients or substances with a nutritional or physiological effect -in particular fats, trans-fatty acids, salt or sodium and sugars-, the presence of which in excessive quantities in the overall diet is not recommended.
This report covers the second year of application of the current charter. The first part presents, as last year, an analysis by Arcom of the conditions under which commercial communications are shown, reporting on developments in children's exposure to audiovisual commercial communications relating to food and beverages compared with the previous year, as well as an assessment of the action taken by the advertising industry. The second section assesses the commitments made by the audiovisual media as part of the Charter. The third part presents, for the first time, an analysis of the impact on audiences of a number of messages (advertising and programs) on diet and healthy lifestyle.
Finally, the report contains a number of notices for the attention of charter signatories and the authorities. If, by 2021, the signatories have fulfilled their commitments to promote healthy lifestyle behaviors, the evaluation contained in the report will shed light on the effects of their commitments, encouraging editors to develop their practices. Arcom considers that the mechanism of voluntary commitments is better able to reconcile public health and economic imperatives than a general rule derived from law and decree.
In this respect, Arcom points out that this approach is in line with that adopted in the report of the Mission d'évaluation de l'alimentation saine et durable pour tous, presented in February 2022 by M. le député Julien Dive and Mme la députée Marie Tamarelle-Verhaeghe. In this document, the rapporteurs point out that "the regulation of television advertising is already quite strict in France with regard to programmes for younger viewers [...] but these viewers are led to watch programmes that are not intended for them, and there is a gap in this area". They do not recommend any substantial changes to television advertising regulations. Their proposals concern the revision of health messages associated with commercials, and their insertion into new digital advertising techniques.
Gist of the report
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Evaluation of the Food Charter - 2022 edition
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- in french
The Food Charter
The 2020 - 2024 Food Charter
The Charte visant à promouvoir une alimentation et des comportements favorables à la santé dans les programmes audiovisuels et les publicités follows on from the Charte visant à promouvoir une alimentation et une activité physique favorables à la santé dans les programmes et les publicités diffusés à la télévision. It will apply from February 1, 2020, for a period of five years.