Kraft to cut back snack food advertising to kids

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Kraft Foods Inc. on Wednesday said it would stop advertising products like Oreo cookies and Kool-Aid beverages to children younger than 12 as part of plan to address concerns about childhood obesity.

The move means ads for some of Kraft’s best-known snack foods and sugary cereals will no longer appear during television shows viewed primarily by children ages 6 to 11, such as cartoons.

The change will also affect advertising in radio and print media, Kraft said.

“We recognize that parents are concerned about the mix of food products being advertised to younger children,” Mark Berlind, Kraft’s executive vice president of global corporate affairs, said in a statement. “The initiatives we’re announcing today are part of our ongoing efforts to help address that concern.”

In the last year, increased media focus on the roughly 15 percent of U.S. children and adolescents who are overweight has led big food manufacturers like Kraft to reformulate the nutritional content of some calorie- and fat-laden products.

Kraft, which has struggled with softer demand for foods like Oreos and Chips Ahoy cookies, has tried to increase its appeal to health-conscious consumers by removing artery-clogging trans fats from its foods and selling snacks in 100-calorie packs.

As part of that effort, the Northfield, Illinois, company also said on Wednesday it was introducing a new food labeling program in the United States that would feature a “flag” on packaging for products that meet certain nutritional criteria.

Those criteria include providing protein, calcium, fiber or whole grain at “nutritionally meaningful levels” and staying within specific limits on calories, fat, sodium and sugar.

It did not say what those limits were.

Some of the products earnings the “Sensible Solution” flag include Kraft 2-percent milk shredded reduced fat cheese and Post Shredded Wheat cereal.

Kraft rival PepsiCo Inc. instituted a similar labeling program last year on products like Baked Lays potato chips, Diet Pepsi cola, and Tropicana orange juice. Pepsi said on Wednesday it will launch a major retail promotion of products carrying its “Smart Spot” label next month.

Throughout 2005, Kraft said it will increase advertising in media seen mainly by children ages 6 to 11 of products that meet the new guidelines, including sugar-free Kool-Aid beverages and reduced-sugar Fruity Pebbles Cereal.

Kraft said it will continue to advertise all its products in television, radio and print media seen mainly by parents and “all-family audiences.” It also said it will continue its existing policy of not advertising in television, radio and print media with a primary audience under age six.

Kraft shares were down 22 cents at $34.02 in morning trade Wednesday on the New York Stock Exchange. Kraft is majority owned by Altria Group Inc.

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