Most Nickelodeon food ads for junk food

WASHINGTON, Nov. 24 (UPI) -- Some 80 percent of food ads on Nickelodeon are for foods of poor nutritional quality, down from 90 percent in 2005, a U.S. food advocacy group says.

Officials at the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington said from 2005-2009, the food industry instituted a self-regulatory program through the Council of Better Business Bureaus, the Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative.

Under the self-regulatory program, of the 452 foods and beverages that companies say are acceptable to market to children, CSPI found nearly 60 percent do not meet the council's recommended nutrition standards for food marketing to children, such as General Mills' Cookie Crisp and Reese's Puffs cereals, Kellogg Apple Jacks and Cocoa Krispies cereals, Kellogg Rice Krispies Treats, Campbell's Goldfish crackers and SpaghettiOs, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese and many Unilever Popsicles.

"While industry self-regulation is providing some useful benchmarks, it's clearly not shielding children from junk food advertising, on Nick and elsewhere," Margo G. Wootan, director of CSPI nutrition policy said in a statement. "It's a modest start, but not sufficient to address children's poor eating habits and the sky-high rates of childhood obesity."

No puddings, cookies or fruit-flavored snacks meet CSPI's nutrition standards, but 73 percent of yogurts did. Other foods that meet CSPI's standards include: Nabisco Teddy Grahams, Kellogg Frosted Mini-Wheats, Kellogg Eggo Waffles and several Kid Cuisine frozen dinners.