Children and Underage Youth Consistently Exposed to Marketing for Unhealthy Food and Alcohol
Dutch children and underage youth are widely exposed to marketing for unhealthy foods and alcoholic beverages in their everyday environments. This is evident from the 2024 Monitor on Food Marketing to Children and the 2024 Alcohol Marketing Monitor, both conducted by Panteia on behalf of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport.
The 2024 results are consistent with previous years, indicating ongoing structural concerns around marketing that reaches children and young people. In terms of food advertising, a significant decline in marketing was only observed on youth-targeted websites. Across all other media and locations examined, either an increase was observed or the level of exposure remained the same as the previous year.
Notably, this marketing often takes place in places or through channels not formally targeted at children or minors but which they do use. As a result, these fall outside the scope of current laws and advertising codes relating to minors. However, it is precisely these forms of ‘general’ marketing that strongly influence what children and underage youth perceive as normal food and drink.
Social Media: Visible, Whether Paid or Not
On platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, children and underage youth are frequently exposed to food and alcohol brands, often via popular influencers. Whether or not the collaboration is sponsored is not always made clear. This makes it difficult for underage youth to recognise content as advertising.
“Paid or not — it influences young people either way,” says Henri Faun, project manager at Panteia.
Cartoon Characters Still on Packaging
Despite the ban on using well-known cartoon characters on food packaging, products featuring licensed characters like Paw Patrol and Pokémon are still being sold in the Netherlands. Most of this packaging was found in sweet shops selling imported confectionery. These products are not intended for the Dutch market but are imported and readily available to Dutch children.
In addition, manufacturers use their own mascots and characters to appeal to children, including soft toy animals added to products — such as in boxes of chocolates.
“A box of chocolates that comes with a cuddly toy is, of course, irresistible to a child,” says Henri Faun.
Sport and Sporting Events as Marketing Channels
Sporting contexts are a key environment where children and youth are exposed to food and alcohol marketing. During sporting events for children, participants are often given flavoured sports drinks at the finish line or rewarded with sweets or chocolate.
“Handing out sports drinks at the finish line conditions children to expect a flavoured drink after sport, rather than just plain water,” warns Henri Faun.
Alcohol advertising is also visible during major televised sporting events such as the European Championships or the Champions League — watched by hundreds of thousands of minors. However, because less than 25% of the audience is under 18, there are no restrictions for advertisers in this context.
Outdoor Advertising Without Limits
Outdoors, chocolate, soft drinks, fast food and alcohol are among the most heavily advertised product categories. Other than the rule that alcohol advertising must not be visible from schools, there are few restrictions in place — and advertisers show little self-restraint when choosing where to display their adverts.
“The street is a constant stream of temptation. And children are inevitably part of that audience,” according to Henri Faun in the monitor.
High Exposure, Limited Protection
Although the number of actual violations of advertising codes appears limited, current practice raises questions. For example, the use of artists like Snelle and Camila Cabello in alcohol advertisements may breach the rule that teenage idols should not be used to promote alcohol.
More importantly, minors — even in the absence of explicit violations of the advertising codes — are constantly exposed to marketing for unhealthy foods and alcohol. This persistent visibility contributes to the perception that sweets, snacks, soft drinks and alcohol are a natural part of an everyday lifestyle.
“If you consistently expose children to this kind of marketing, you inevitably create the perception that unhealthy eating and drinking is the norm,” emphasises Henri Faun.
Call to Action
In the monitor, researchers advise tightening regulations on advertising and broadening the definition of ‘targeted at children and minors’ — extending restrictions to public spaces such as sporting events and supermarkets. The advertising code should better align with the Dutch ‘Schijf van Vijf’ dietary guidelines and impose stricter rules on outdoor advertising. More transparency is also needed from influencers and platforms such as YouTube, especially regarding when content constitutes advertising. Supermarkets, leisure venues and cinemas are urged to limit child-targeted marketing. Sporting events should critically assess their sponsors and what is distributed to children.
