• Ad Age, Wednesday, June 20, 2007 11:30 AM

In letters to five of Kellogg's chief competitors, Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., demanded that they implement limits on advertising to children similar to those announced by the cereal maker last week. Markey, who chairs the telecom panel of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, says his panel's hearing this Friday on the impact of violent and tobacco-smoking images children see on TV will also examine the repercussions of food ads.

The letters ask the companies--McDonald's, Coca-Cola, General Mills, Kraft Foods and PepsiCo--to respond by June 29. An aide to the congressman says they were selected because of their extensive use of marketing to kids.

As part of a lawsuit settlement, Kellogg will market only foods that meet new nutritional criteria in any medium that has a large audience of children under age 12. It will also alter product ingredients to meet minimum health standards or quit advertising them to children altogether.

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