Miller Lite has more taste than Bud Light. At least according to their commercials they do. But how do consumers know whether this is true, and how is Miller allowed to make such a claim?
In advertising for beer or any other food product, all claims have to be substantiated by lab testing or research,\ said Greg Cebrzynski, marketing editor for Nation's Restaurant News, a weekly trade publication.
According to Federal Trade Commission guidelines, if a food manufacturer claims that its product is low in fat, costs a certain amount of money or tastes better than a competitor's product, it must be able to back it up.
However, advertisers are also allowed to make more general claims without getting in trouble with the Federal Trade Commission. For example, McDonald's can say it has ""the best-tasting product around"" and not be legally responsible to prove it, Cebrzynski said.
Other than these specific guidelines, food marketing is more or less self-regulated. While some think this system works well, others see a dire need for improvement.
The Institute of Medicine recently released a study linking food advertising to childhood obesity, prompting groups like The Center for Science in the Public Interest and the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood to seek stricter regulation. Since 1980, obesity rates have doubled for children between the ages of six and 11 and nearly tripled for adolescents, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Some food manufactures have taken note of these findings as well. Kraft, who spends around $90 million a year advertising directly to children, announced in January it would limit its advertising to kids under 12.
Under the company's new guidelines, only five Kraft products are considered healthy enough to be advertised on shows where more than 50 percent of the audience is under 12.
Although Kraft has gotten some criticism for this new policy, Cebrzynski said he thinks it was a sound business decision.
""They're showing that they're taking the issue responsibly,"" he said. Although children may still see ads for unhealthy foods on other shows and online, he added, ""it's good of Kraft to take the issue so seriously.""
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