In Denmark, the Forum of Responsible Food Marketing Communication was established in 2008 to ensure that children are not exposed to marketing of products with a high content of sugar, fat or salt (HFFS).
Partners of the Forum are organisations covering the entire marketing chain, including manufactures, advertisers and retailers through the creative and media agencies to the media themselves, while the responsible authorities act as an observer.
The success of the Forum is based on trust and the joint commitment by all partners, who have been involved in defining the responsible marketing code and in ensuring compliance. They react to potential breaches and conduct surveys to monitor advertising in children’s media. In addition, the Danish Association of Communication and Creative Agencies provides guidance on the code to their membership.
As shown in the Report of the Status of the forum of responsible food marketing communication 2014, since the code was signed, advertising of HFSS products in children’s media has almost disappeared. A total of 1,500 commercials aimed at children in Danish Commercial TV2 in 2007 has dropped to only eight in 2013. Monitoring of companies’ websites, internet, social and print media reveal that no advertising for HFSS foods takes place.
