France calls for new food adverts code

Date: 03/08/00

By Renée Cordes

FRANCE is calling on member states to consider introducing new EU-wide rules restrictions on advertising food products to children, amid concern that youngsters are getting mixed messages about proper nutrition.

Paris has floated the idea of a voluntary industry code of practice setting out what kind of information food companies should include in adverts for products targeted at children.

It has also called for labels on fruit and vegetables to include information about ingredients which could cause harmful and potentially fatal allergic reactions.

"There are more and more young children in Europe suffering from obesity, which causes us concern," said a French official, although he stressed that his government would not press for binding Union-wide legislation.

He added that Paris was carrying out a study to establish what member states were doing to improve people's diets and hoped that health ministers would come forward with concrete ideas to tackle the problem at their December meeting.

While France is stressing that the discussion is still at a very early stage, the move has heightened industry concerns about a growing trend towards imposing restrictions on advertising to children in the Union, with Sweden planning to push for restrictions on toy adverts during its EU presidency of next year. "It makes industry very nervous," said Alastair Tempest, director-general of European direct marketing association FEDMA. "Once you start restricting one kind of advertising, where do you stop?"

The French move is part of a broader EU-wide campaign to promote dietary guidelines for member states, amid mounting evidence that poor diet has led to an increase in deaths from cancer, cardiovascular and other diseases in recent years.

France is calling on Member States to consider introducing new EU-wide restrictions on advertising food products to children, amid concern that youngsters are getting mixed messages about proper nutrition.