business

WASHINGTON - Commercials promoting sugary breakfast cereals could be put on a strict diet under government guidelines urging food companies to limit marketing of unhealthy products to children.

Under a proposal announced Thursday by several government agencies, companies would be urged to only market foods to children ages 2 through 17 if they are low in fats, sugars and sodium and contain specified healthy ingredients.

The guidelines set parameters that are stricter than many companies have set for themselves and, if the companies agree, would eliminate much of the advertising consumers see now -- on television, in magazines, in stores and on the Internet -- for foods that appeal to children.

Beyond TV advertising

If many companies sign on to the guidelines, children could see much less of the colorful cartoon characters used to advertise cereals or other gimmicks designed to draw their attention. If the companies wanted to continue that advertising, they would have to reduce unhealthy ingredients in their products.

The food industry has been successful in reducing the number of television ads aimed at children in recent years and much of that advertising has moved to the Internet, social media and other digital platforms such as smartphones. Public health advocates have argued that the industry's self-regulation is not enough and has pushed the government to set guidelines.

In 2009, Congress directed the Federal Trade Commission, Agriculture Department, Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to form a working group and develop the recommendations. The guidelines they wrote are broad, applying to almost any promotion a child might see for a food -- including text messages, product placement in video games and celebrity endorsements.

The agencies said the proposal, which would be phased in over five years and is up for public comment until the summer, is "to encourage a marketing environment that supports, rather than undermines," parents' efforts to get children to eat healthy food.

Specifically, the agencies recommend that companies only market foods that have a significant amount of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk products, fish, extra lean meat, eggs, nuts, seeds or beans. Foods that have any trans-fat, more than 1 gram of saturated fat, more than 13 grams of added sugars or more than 210 milligrams of sodium in a serving would not be eligible for marketing to children.

It is unclear whether government pressure will be effective enough to get many companies to sign on. Some of the country's largest food companies, including McDonald's, General Mills Inc., Kellogg Co., Kraft Foods Global and PepsiCo Inc., already have joined an initiative sponsored by the Better Business Bureau to limit their marketing to children. The standards are similar but not as strict.

In a statement, General Mills said it has made extensive changes in recent years to increase the healthfulness of its cereal portfolio. "We look forward to sharing with the [government] our perspective on the healthfulness of cereals."