Kraft Foods Inc., the nation's biggest food manufacturer, said it plans to curb its advertising of Oreo cookies, regular Kool-Aid and other popular snack foods to children under 12 as part of an effort to encourage better eating habits

Food & Drink Weekly, Jan 17, 2005

Kraft Foods Inc., the nation's biggest food manufacturer, said it plans to curb its advertising of Oreo cookies, regular Kool-Aid and other popular snack foods to children under 12 as part of an effort to encourage better eating habits. The company also said it would begin labeling food and beverages that meet certain nutrition criteria with a flag containing the product's benefits.

The new marketing program comes as food companies are facing rising criticism from some consumer groups and others that they are contributing to obesity in children. "We're working on ways to encourage both adults and children to eat wisely by selecting more nutritionally balanced diets," Kraft senior vice president Lance Friedmann said in a written statement.