Responsible Advertising To Children

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ACA recognizes children are a special audience. That’s why ACA supports the government’s objective to restrict messages about the consumption and choice of food and beverage products to children under the age of 13.

History

In Canada, advertising to children for foods and beverages that did not meet Health Canada’s nutrition standards was restricted through a Code and supporting Guide, independently administered by Ad Standards, underpinned by a complaint procedure. The code was developed collaboratively by ACA, the Canadian Beverage Association (CBA), Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada (FHCP) and Restaurants Canada in June 2021 and officially came into effect June 28, 2023.

The Code restrictions are based on and exceed Health Canada’s Draft Guide (2018).
The centre piece of Code and Guide are sections 248 and 249 of la Loi de la protection du consommateur – a successful Canadian solution that has restricted advertising to children in Quebec for over 40 years.

Cause for concern

The industry was faced with a two-track challenge: Bill C-252 and Health Canada’s Policy Update. Both tracks would have gone beyond restricting advertising to children, threatening the ability to advertise legal food and beverage products to adults, as well as introducing provisions to increase the age definition of children from under 13 to under 17.

Health Canada

ACA provided a substantial response to Health Canada’s request for feedback in June 2023. Alongside other industry stakeholders we will continue to have ongoing discussions, with Health Canada to again, ensure advertisers’ concerns are heard and addressed.

Bill C-252

Bill C-252 completed its 3rd reading in the House October 25, 2023, and 2nd reading in the Senate on May 30, 2024 however the Bill died on the Order Paper when the federal election was called in March 2025.

As the leader in Responsible Advertising to Children, ACA was the only advertising association invited to appear before SOCI (the Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology of the Senate) on November 21, 2024 to ensure advertisers concerns are heard and addressed.

Following up to our appearance, ACA sent a letter to SOCI: ACA SOCI letter November 2024

Current Status

In early 2026, ACA and its industry partners updated the CODE FOR THE Restriction of Food and Beverage Product Advertising to Children and Guide to reinforce the mandatory nature of the Code for all advertisers. The documents have been shared with industry and government.

ACA recommends that all advertising messages for food and beverages in all media that might reasonably be seen as primarily directed to children are submitted to Ad Standards for preclearance.

Resources

FHCP, Ad Standards, and ACA Industry Code for Advertising to Children Update Webinar
The Code for the Restriction of Food and Beverage Product Advertising to Children
The Guide for the Restriction of Food and Beverage Product Advertising to Children
Ad Standards’ Clearance for Responsible Advertising of Food and Beverage Products to Children
Ad Standards’ Consumer Complaint Procedure for Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising
Minisite: Mandatory Code

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Member Alerts

Media Releases

(June 27, 2023) New Restrictions on Food Advertising Directed at Children Effective June 28
(June 28, 2021) Advertising Industry Commits to New Food and Beverage Code and Guide to Deliver on Government’s Objectives on Advertising to Children

Media Coverage

(July 9, 2021) iPolitics: The Sprout: Food, beverage industry restricting junk-food advertising
(July 9, 2021) strategy: Food and beverage associations adopt code for advertising to kids
(June 4, 2019) Globe and Mail: Senators working to block bill that restricts food and drink ads aimed at children