Skip to main content

The Federal Trade Commission, the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture last month released for public comment a set of proposed voluntary principles for use by industry as a guide for marketing food to children.  The four agencies’ Interagency Working Group, will host a half-day public forum in Washington, D.C. on May 24 to allow interested parties to make brief statements on the proposed voluntary principles.  Due to limited seating and security considerations, all attendees must pre-register.

In an effort to combat childhood obesity and promote children’s health, Congress directed the agencies to establish the working group and develop recommendations for the nutritional quality of food marketed to children and adolescents. 

In response to several requests from industry stakeholders, the deadline for written comment on the proposed principles has been extended an additional 30 days to July 14, 2011.  Instructions for submitting written comments are set out in the proposed voluntary principles.

TO PRE-REGISTER: Those who plan to attend the forum must pre-register by e-mailing their name and affiliation to foodmarketedtochildren@ftc.gov no later than 5 p.m. EDT on May 20, 2011.  Those wishing to provide an oral statement must pre-register no later than 5 p.m. EDT on May 18, 2011, and should indicate whether the statement will relate primarily to the proposed nutrition principles or to the proposed marketing definitions.
WHERE: Department of Health and Human Services
Hubert H. Humphrey Building
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
WHEN: May 24, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. 
(All attendees should allow additional time for security screening.)
A draft agenda and related information about the forum are available here.  For those who plan to register for this event and have privacy concerns, see the FTC’s Privacy Policy.
PRESS CONTACT: Office of Public Affairs
202-326-2180