Starting 1 January 2026, stricter rules will regulate food advertising targeting children and adolescents in Belgium.
The new policy, called the “Belgian Food Advertising Code”, aims to protect consumers under the age of 16 from marketing unhealthy food and drink products. This replaces the previous “Belgian Pledge”, which covered children only up to 13 years old.
Under the updated code, advertisements for food and beverages failing to meet strict nutritional criteria cannot target those under 16. This change expands protections to about 380,000 additional young people, increasing the covered demographic by 34%, according to Belgium’s leading food and advertising industry federations.
Advertising restrictions will also extend to secondary schools, alongside primary schools, and apply within a 150-metre radius of these institutions. Furthermore, stricter guidelines will regulate social media advertising and marketing through influencers.
This initiative is a self-regulatory measure by the industry, rather than government legislation.
