In the US, Kellogg, as part of an agreement to forestall a lawsuit from the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood, has agreed to severely limit advertising to children under the age of 12 - as have Kraft Foods and Coca-Cola Co. before it. CSPI is expecting further cooperation, saying it would temporarily hold off on its promise to sue other food companies and Viacom's Nickelodeon. Kellogg said it would advertise only foods that fit a particular nutritional profile in any medium that gets more than 50% of its audience from kids under age 12.

Products that fit the kids-advertising criteria will have to have no more than 200 calories per serving, zero grams of trans fat and no more than 2 grams of saturated fat. There are also limits on sugar.

Some $206 million in marketing spending is in limbo - but the tally could easily soar past $1 billion if other major marketers, as expected, follow suit. Kellogg's statement cited TV, print, radio and internet ads as well as ‘website activities directed to children, promotions/ premiums, product placement and in-school marketing’.

www.kellogg.com