Packaging Health: Examining "Better-for-You" Foods Targeted at Children

Charlene Elliott

Canadian Public Policy, 2012, vol. 38, issue 2, 265-281

Abstract: Concerns over health and obesity have led to a range of "better-for-you" food products targeted at consumers. This analysis examines 354 supermarket foods targeted at children in Canada, assessing the nutritional quality and types of appeals of "better-for-you" packaged foods compared to "regular" fare. While "better-for-you" products fared better nutritionally (particularly for fat or sodium), high levels of sugar are evident in both categories. This analysis further examines some important considerations regarding both "health halos" and the promotion of food as "fun." Overall, it reveals that products marketed to children as "better-for-you" are as much about marketing as they are about nutrition.

Date: 2012
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
http://dx.doi.org/10.3138/cpp.38.2.265 (text/html)
access restricted to subscribers

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cpp:issued:v:38:y:2012:i:2:p:265-281

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.utpjournals.com/loi/cpp/

Access Statistics for this article

Canadian Public Policy is currently edited by Prof. Mike Veall

More articles in Canadian Public Policy from University of Toronto Press University of Toronto Press Journals Division 5201 Dufferin Street Toronto, Ontario, Canada M3H 5T8.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Iver Chong ( this e-mail address is bad, please contact ).