Digital marketers ´dodge junk-food ban´

Advertisers have been criticised for using digital marketing to target children with junk-food advertising, according to new research released today by a leading consumer watchdog.

Food Fables – The Second Sitting, published by Which?, found that many companies including McDonald´s, Nestle and PepsiCo are taking advantage of poor regulation in the digital marketing sector.

The report claimed that viral marketing, text messages and social networking sites are being used to target children with adverts for junk-food.

Sue Davies, chief policy adviser at Which?, told the Telegraph: "We´re not against treats and we´re not against marketing, but we are against irresponsible company practices and hollow company commitments."

But the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) said the report was "sloppy", subjective and lacked substance.

It claimed Which? had mislead consumers as to what was actually happening in the world of food advertising.

But Which? said it was disappointed that the FDF "would take this approach".