Companies Agree to Revisions to Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative Core Principles
McLean, VA – January 29, 2026 – The leading food, beverage, and quick serve restaurant companies participating in the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI) have updated the program’s Core Principles to reflect developments in the digital media environment and participants’ digital advertising practices. CFBAI is administered by BBB National Programs.
Under CFBAI’s Core Principles, participating companies voluntarily agree to advertise only foods or beverages that meet CFBAI’s Uniform Nutrition Criteria or not to advertise any foods in child-directed advertising in a broad range of media. Although the Core Principles have covered digital advertising since inception, several years have elapsed since the Core Principles were last updated to reflect changes in the digital advertising landscape.
The new Core Principles, 8th Edition, expands the list of media covered by participants’ pledge commitments to expressly include newer forms of digital media like streaming platforms, podcasts, and gaming platforms. Participants’ child-directed advertising in such media has been subject to CFBAI pledge commitments and monitored by the program administrator, but such media has not been expressly included in the Core Principles until now.
The updated Core Principles also include a restated commitment by participants to reasonably use digital advertising tools, where available and appropriate, to avoid serving non-qualifying food advertisements to children.
The Core Principles, 8th Edition, became effective January 1, 2026, and represents CFBAI participants’ ongoing commitment to responsible advertising to children. View the Principles
To reach our media team, contact us at press@bbbnp.org.
Under CFBAI’s Core Principles, participating companies voluntarily agree to advertise only foods or beverages that meet CFBAI’s Uniform Nutrition Criteria or not to advertise any foods in child-directed advertising in a broad range of media. Although the Core Principles have covered digital advertising since inception, several years have elapsed since the Core Principles were last updated to reflect changes in the digital advertising landscape.
The new Core Principles, 8th Edition, expands the list of media covered by participants’ pledge commitments to expressly include newer forms of digital media like streaming platforms, podcasts, and gaming platforms. Participants’ child-directed advertising in such media has been subject to CFBAI pledge commitments and monitored by the program administrator, but such media has not been expressly included in the Core Principles until now.
The updated Core Principles also include a restated commitment by participants to reasonably use digital advertising tools, where available and appropriate, to avoid serving non-qualifying food advertisements to children.
The Core Principles, 8th Edition, became effective January 1, 2026, and represents CFBAI participants’ ongoing commitment to responsible advertising to children. View the Principles
To reach our media team, contact us at press@bbbnp.org.