After consulting with various stakeholders for around a month, Children's Code for Advertising Food has been launched today. These newly launched guidelines are being welcomed by advertisers.

As per the latest guidelines, advertisements promoting inactive and unhealthy lifestyles are not allowed. Jeremy Irwin, CEO of Association of New Zealand Advertisers has stressed that the latest guidelines provide a clearer understanding to various advertisers and Ad agencies to prepare advertising campaigns with a high level of social responsibility.

The code specifies that advertising towards children should be more responsible and clear and should include useful information about the products and their benefits.

A lot of health groups, standards and nutrition organizations, food Companies and health experts were consulted for this advertising code.

Advertisers cannot mislead their customers about the nutritional value of their food and they are being encouraged to show advertisements that promote balanced and healthy diets.

The new code is also an effort by all the concerned stakeholders to work together and ensure that they are acting in the best interests of children.

The efforts of the regulators were praised by all the Companies. It was also felt that if the industry follows sound practices and uses self-regulation, there is no need for any type of regulation and it will benefit everyone in the system.