Cartoons on confectionery packaging are to be removed

Consumer protection bodies and parent initiatives alike are calling for food manufacturers to ban cartoon characters on confectionery packaging – so far with little success. A study conducted by the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) tested more than 100 products in 13 countries and found that images geared towards children such as comic book heroes were used considerably less on the packaging of healthier products than on products with a higher sugar or fat content.

According to a study conducted by the Max Rubner-Institut in 2018, the sugar content in cereals for children is often higher than in products for adults. The cartoons are generally highly appealing to children, who in turn often use their pester power to get their parents to purchase the products.

Another study, conducted by charity organisation Action on Sugar in 2019, examined a total of 526 confectionery products and beverages with cartoon characters on their packaging. More than half of the products had an excess of added sugar, with a mere 18 of the examined foods classified as healthy, including water, fruit and vegetables.

Consumer protection bodies and parent initiatives alike are calling for food manufacturers to ban cartoon characters on confectionery packaging – so far with little success. A study conducted by the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) tested more than 100 products in 13 countries and found that images geared towards children such as comic book heroes were used considerably less on the packaging of healthier products than on products with a higher sugar or fat content.

Warnings on packaging in Chile

The country situated on South America’s Pacific coast is using drastic measures to counter obesity in children. In 2016, using children's toys to market food products was prohibited by law. Two years later, the country adopted a provision that banned cartoon characters from all children’s confectionery and snacks and stipulated that packaging must be labelled with printed, black warnings instead.

No cartoon heroes for seven to thirteen-year-olds in the Netherlands

The Dutch food industry also no longer uses cartoon heroes to advertise sugary snacks, breakfast cereals and similar products that are geared towards seven to thirteen-year-olds. According to official figures, in the Netherlands around 25 percent of children aged ten to twelve are overweight; six percent of all children are obese. Now, cartoon characters on the packaging of unhealthy foods are a thing of the past – and that includes the Minions.

Germany trusts in voluntary action

Currently, Germany does not have legal regulations on the use of cartoons on packaging. However, some companies have voluntarily committed to removing the colourful characters on the packaging of cereals and similar products. And since 2017, German cartoon character Die Maus, the mouse who stars in the series Die Sendung mit der Maus [translates to “The programme with the mouse”] on German TV channel WDR, has been used almost exclusively to advertise foods that are considered healthy by WHO standards.

In 2018, Nestlé initiated a different approach to counter the issue of overweight children. The company’s Milkybar Wowsomes chocolate bars were offered with 30 percent less sugar in Britain and Ireland; however, the attempt failed and after less than two years, sales were stopped. Nonetheless, Mars and Snickers followed this example and offered less sugary chocolate bars, and Mondelez offered a low sugar Cadbury Dairy Milk bar. None of these products are advertised using well-known cartoon characters.

Whilst packaging is being redesigned, the industry is simultaneously considering using scannable QR codes on packaging to implement health warnings and brand censorship. The codes can be accessed in real time via smartphones. In European countries, Nutri-Score is increasingly being used on packaging as a traffic light system for foods, displaying a product’s nutritional value at a glance.