ArticlePloS one2023
Child-appealing packaged food and beverage products in Canada-Prevalence, power, and nutritional quality.
Article in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.
- A Growing Problem: Increases in Child-Appealing Marketing on Infant and Young Children's Foods in Australia (2015 vs 2024).Maternal & child nutrition · 2026Article
- Mixed messages: evaluating the concurrent presence of nutrition and health claims and front-of-pack warning symbols in five food categories in Canada.Public health nutrition · 2026Article
- Policy gap: most child-appealing packaged food products in Canada will display a 'high in' front-of-package nutrition symbol.Public health nutrition · 2025Article
- Using artificial intelligence and computer vision to detect and monitor unhealthy child-directed food and beverage marketing: a data-driven study.EClinicalMedicine · 2025Article
- The healthfulness of major food brands according to Health Canada's nutrient profile model for proposed restrictions on food marketing to children.Public health nutrition · 2025Article
- Millets for little ones: child feeding practices and nutritional profile of millet-based foods in Telangana, India.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Article
- Nutrient profiling and degree of food processing of child-targeted packaged foods in Türkiye: An urgent call for policy action.PloS one · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundChildren are frequently exposed to marketing on food packaging. This study evaluated the presence, type and power of child-appealing marketing and compared the nutritional quality of child-appealing vs. non-child-appealing Canadian packaged foods and examined the relationship between nutrient composition and marketing power.
methodsChild-relevant packaged foods (n = 5,850) were sampled from the Food Label Information Program 2017 database. The presence and power (# of techniques displayed) of child-appealing marketing were identified. Fisher's Exact test compared the proportion of products exceeding Health Canada's nutrient thresholds for advertising restrictions and Mann Whitney U tests compared nutrient composition between products with child- /non-child-appealing packaging. Pearson's correlation analyzed the relationship between nutrient composition and marketing power.
results13% (746/5850) of products displayed child-appealing marketing; the techniques used, and the power of the marketing varied ([Formula: see text] 2.2 techniques; range: 0-11). More products with child-appealing packaging than with non-child appealing packaging exceeded Health Canada's thresholds (98% vs. 94%; p < .001). Products with child-appealing packaging (vs. non-child-appealing) were higher in total sugars (median: 14.7 vs. 9 g/RA; p < .001) and free sugars (11.5 vs. 6.2 g/RA; p < .001), but lower in all other nutrients. There was weak overall correlation between marketing power and nutrient levels. Results varied by nutrient and food category.
conclusionsUnhealthy products with powerful child-appealing marketing displayed on package are prevalent in the food supply. Implementing marketing restrictions that protect children should be a priority.
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Registered trials
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