About Ethical Marketing for Food Products
The array of products available in grocery stores can be dizzying. As explained by Marion Nestle in her book, "Food Politics," at the turn of the century food companies were spending $33 billion per year in marketing to convince consumers to buy their products. The ethics of various marketing strategies can be questionable.
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Marketing to Children
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A child pleading with his parents for sugary treats is a common sight in grocery stores. Companies try to create this scenario by targeting children in cereal, candy and snack commercials. David Kurtz outlines the ethical issues in his book, "Contemporary Marketing," arguing that, because children cannot critically analyze such messages, companies should not be allowed to aggressively advertise to this demographic.
Incomplete Health Food Claims
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Many products tout incomplete truths to consumers regarding health benefits. For example, many vegetable oil brands claim to be "cholesterol free." While this is technically true, all vegetable oils are cholesterol free regardless of the brand. The same is true for "fat free" fruit juice.
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Dietary Supplements
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Though companies cannot claim their product treats or cures any illness, oversight is practically nonexistent. Lack of oversight can introduce ethical problems. According to the Food and Drug Administration, makers of dietary supplements--not the U.S. government--are responsible for ensuring the health and safety of their products.
Age Restrictions
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Products like alcohol and tobacco cannot be sold or marketed to an underage audience for ethical reasons. The government strongly enforced this rule against tobacco companies that showed cartoons in advertisements, like "Joe Camel." The government also restricts tobacco companies from selling candy-like flavors such as cherry and banana.
More Consumer Information
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Some consumers desire more information regarding the contents of their food, citing ethical concerns. Companies do not have to report certain information, including the use of chemicals in crop production, or the amount of trans fat used if the amount is less than half a gram.
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