Global food and beverage company Nestlé will no longer advertise products including confectionery, ice-cream and water-based beverages with added sugars to children under the age of 16, according to the company’s new Marketing Communication to Children policy introduced today.

Effective globally from July 2023, the company stated that its responsible marketing practices were being updated “as part of its efforts to help bring balanced diets within reach for people around the world.” The new voluntary restrictions add to Nestlé’s existing policies including a ban on product marketing communication targeting children between 0 and 6 years of age, and of not marketing biscuits, sugar, chocolate confectionery, water-based beverage products with added sugars and ice creams to children under 13.

The new restrictions apply to marketing channels including TV and online platforms, including social media and gaming.

As part of the updated policy, Nestlé added that it also will not collect data of minors and will only partner with social media influencers over the age of 18.

Nestlé’s new initiative follows a recent announcement from global consumer brands peer Unilever that it will stop marketing food and beverages to children under the age of 16 years old.

In a statement announcing the new policies, Nestlé said that it “calls for more companies to put forward similar measures that support the wellbeing of children.”

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