Tag Archive for: government action

Argentina’s Congress passes food labelling law

Buenos Aires Times 

Argentina’s Congress approved a new law obliging the food industry to include packaging labels alerting the consumer as to excessive sugar, fat and sodium content. The labels must read “excessive sugar,” “excessive sodium,” “excessive saturated fat,” “excessive total fat” and “excessive calories,” as well as alerting whether caffeine or sweeteners are contained, two components not recommended for child consumption.The food industry will be given 180 days to adapt to the new rules. Read more

Harmful marketing threatens children’s right to healthy food

Devex .com 

Will Brett Harding argues that a child rights-based approach would demonstrate the universality of harmful commercial marketing to children, and of the need to protect children from products that cause harm, as we know unhealthy food and beverages do. Read more

Germany tightens rules on marketing food to children: ‘Advertising must not induce children to eat unhealthily’

Food Navigator

Germany’s voluntary code governing marketing food to children has been updated. “Advertising must not induce children to eat unhealthily,” Federal Minister of Food Julia Klöckner stressed.  Changes to the code include increasing the age that the code covers to 14, and expanding the scope of channels to include video-sharing platforms and social media, including YouTube and TikTok. Read more

A quick, cost-free way for the federal government to save lives

Doug Roth, CEO of the Heart and Stroke Foundation penned an op-ed that appeared in several papers across Canada. “The packaged food industry has been thriving during the pandemic as we eat more comfort foods, snacks and find pleasure in the little things. Unfortunately, identifying healthy choices and comparing products in the grocery store is not an easy, straightforward task. We need simple nutritional information on the front of packaged foods. It’s one very important way we can help prevent the illness and deaths that come from unhealthy food choices.” Read more

Is Obesity Policy in England Fit for Purpose? Analysis of Government Strategies and Policies, 1992–2020

The Milbank Quarterly 
A review of thirty years of proposed Government obesity policies in England has found few to be successful or to have led to a consistent reduction in obesity rates. One major finding is that policies largely make high demands on individual agency, meaning they rely on individuals to make behaviour changes rather than shaping external influences and are thus less likely to be effective or equitable. Read the study

UK to ban all online junk food advertising to tackle obesity

The Guardian 
Research has found that one in three children leaving primary school are overweight, or obese, as are almost two-thirds of adults in England. “This would be a world-leading policy to improve children’s health,” said Fran Bernhardt, coordinator of the Children’s Food Campaign. “Online adverts have cast unhealthy food in the starring role for far too long. The current regulations are inadequate to protect children. Companies advertising healthier foods have nothing to fear.” Read the article

Vital health commitments on food marketing and labelling must not be left unfinished

The Toronto Star
Stop Marketing to Kids coalition co-chairs Dr. Tom Warshawski and Manuel Arango penned an op-ed urging the federal government to adopt two vital health projects: legislation to restrict food marketing to children, and new labelling regulations mandating clear, simple front-of-package nutrition information on food products. Read the article

Throne speech mustn’t neglect crucial Liberal pre-pandemic health commitments

CBC

Doug Roth, CEO of Heart & Stroke, writes that the government cannot simply forget its pre-pandemic health commitments, it has an obligation to address pharmacare, charities, food and vaping regulations.  Read the article here

Mexico state bans sale of sugary drinks and junk food to children

The Guardian 

The southern Mexican state of Oaxaca has banned the sale of sugary drinks and high-calorie snack foods to children – a measure aimed at curbing obesity. The bill puts sugary items into the same category as cigarettes and alcohol. “It’s important to finally put the brakes on this industry, which has already sickened our country and our children,” said Magaly López Domínguez, the Oaxaca lawmaker who presented the bill. “[The industry] gets into the most remote corners of the state” – known for its mountainous topography – “where there’s often not even medicines, but there’s Coca-Cola.” Read the article here

Mexico’s new warning labels on junk food meet supersized opposition from U.S., EU

Chronicle Herald 
The United States, European Union, Canada and Switzerland, home to some of the world’s biggest food companies, have pressed Mexico to delay upcoming health warnings on processed food and drinks, a World Trade Organization document showed. The Mexican standard, scheduled to take effect in October, will require front-of-pack nutrition labelling that clearly describes the health risks posed when those products are high in sugars, calories, salt, and saturated or trans fat. Read the article here