Article 18 - Regulations on advertising food
(1) The health representations in an advertisement of food and non-alcoholic beverages must rely on verifiable scientific grounds included in the officially approved list of the representations. The representations in question must be communicated in a way and to an extent proportionate to the nature and strength of evidence, providing supporting information to the customers.
(2) Advertisement of food and non alcoholic drinks may not be lenient or encouraging towards excessive consumption; sizes of portions must be proportionate to the scenery of the ad.
(3) Advertisement of food and drinks shall not undermine the importance of a well balanced diet or of a healthy, active lifestyle.
(4) In the advertisement of food and non alcoholic beverages, where the product is presented as part of a meal, other elements of the meal shall also reflect the principle of balanced nourishment.
(5) Texts as well as vocal and visual elements used in the advertising of food and non alcoholic beverages must truthfully reflect such important product characteristics presented in the advertisement as taste, size, content, nutritional or health related advantages and shall not in any of the above characteristics be misleading to the consumers.
(6) Products of food industry not suitable for substituting whole meals must not be presented as such.
(7) Nourishment or health related comparisons must be placed on foundations that can be proved and supported objectively and are clearly understandable.
(8) Advertisers of food and non alcoholic beverages must pay special attention in case of advertisements aiming at children not to apply personalities (live or animation) from radio, television or printed media for the trading of products, gifts or services in a manner that makes differentiating between the edited content and the commercial promotion difficult.
(9) While fantasy, including animation, is acceptable in communication both towards younger or elder children, special care must be taken not to utilize child imagination in a manner that would be misleading concerning the dietary advantages of the product in question.
(10) Food and advert non alcoholic beverages advertisements prepared applying characters renowned from children programs cannot be broadcasted in the environment of the same program.
(11) Food and non alcoholic beverages drink advertisements addressing children cannot encourage them to eat or drink immediately at or before their night sleep.
(12) Advertisements of food and non alcoholic beverages must not mislead consumers about the possible positive health effect or other advantageous characteristic, positive physiological or social effect of the advertised product’s consumption. In advertisement addressing children or the young, the same applies to hinting at status in a community, popularity within an age group, school or sport success and the increase of intelligence.
(13) Advertisement of food and non alcoholic beverages must not undermine the role of parents and other adults responsible for the wellbeing of a child in terms of their guidance in selecting diet and lifestyle.
(14) Food and drink advertisements addressing children must not create the impression of urgency or disproportionate price reduction for instance by applying the expressions ‘now’ or ‘only’.
