Open for signatureElectronice-7850 · Parliament 45

Restrict child food marketing

Petitioners ask Health Canada to swiftly implement and publish regulations, using its existing criteria, that restrict marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children under 13.

Why we would sign this petition

Reduces children's exposure to persuasive marketing, helping caregivers promote healthier eating.
May change food preferences and consumption during development, lowering long-term diet-related disease risk.
Builds on Health Canada’s existing criteria and public support; petitioners say restrictions don't raise prices or harm industry revenues or jobs.

Why we wouldn’t sign this petition

Rules may be difficult to enforce across digital platforms and diverse marketing channels, so children's exposure could persist.
Despite petitioners' claims, critics may fear unintended economic effects on the food and advertising sectors or costs for compliance.
Some prefer or prioritize alternatives such as stronger nutrition education, parental tools or targeted interventions instead of broad marketing bans.

The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.

Official petition

Petition to the House of Commons Canadian children are constantly exposed to aggressive marketing of unhealthy, often ultra-processed, food and beverages high in sodium, sugars, or saturated fats across digital platforms, television, and public spaces; With cognitive, emotional and decision-making abilities still developing, children are especially vulnerable to persuasive marketing tactics that can undermine caregivers’ efforts to support healthy eating; Children aged 9 – 13 in Canada get over half of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods; Marketing of these products shapes food preferences and eating behaviours during key developmental years, contributing to dietary patterns that can persist into adulthood; Poor diets contribute to chronic illnesses. In 2023, an estimated 31,000 deaths and a burden of $28 billion were related to dietary factors in Canada; Importantly, evidence shows that marketing restrictions do not increase food prices, contribute to job or wage reductions or harm to industry revenues; 80% of Canadians agree that advertising and social media create pressure on children to consume unhealthy products, and 76% support restrictions per a 2026 Environics poll; By introducing such regulations, the government will support long-term health and economic benefits, freeing families from the influence of targeted marketing; and Failing to act perpetuates avoidable costs, with preventable chronic disease continuing to pressure our health care system. We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the House of Commons to direct Health Canada to swiftly implement and publish regulations restricting the marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to children under age 13 using criteria already developed by Health Canada.

Government response

No government response is available yet.