• Brandweek, Friday, April 20, 2007 12 PM

For a report that it is preparing for Congress, the Federal Trade Commission says it will subpoena 44 unnamed food, beverage and fast-food restaurant marketers for detailed information on how they market to children. The information demands will be detailed and all-encompassing, according to a Federal Register notice.

The FTC is particularly interested in breakfast cereals; snack foods; candy; dairy products; baked goods; carbonated beverages; fruit juice and non-carbonated beverages; prepared foods and meals; frozen and chilled desserts; and quick-service restaurant items.

Among other things, the FTC is seeking information on the use of traditional media targeting kids; all product placement, viral and word-of-mouth marketing activities, and any information on health claims such as "better for you." Data received will be treated in confidence except where it might be publicly available; it will be presented in "aggregate," rather than on specific companies.

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