Tag: children
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USDA Revises School Lunch Standards
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued a final rule updating the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs “to align them with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.” Effective March 26, 2012, the rule seeks to reduce childhood obesity by requiring schools to (i) “increase the availability of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free…
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Online Food Marketing a “Cynical” Ploy to Target Children, Claims New Report
A recent report issued by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and Children’s Food Campaign (CFC) has described online food marketing to children as “pervasive,” with more than 75 percent of websites targeting children with high fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) products “linked to a corresponding product or brand page on a social networking site” such…
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Rudd Center Report Claims “Advergames” Promote Unhealthy Food to Kids
Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity recently published a study claiming that “children are disproportionately targeted by food company Websites using branded computer games, known as advergames,” which allegedly promote “calorie-dense nutrient-poor foods.” Jennifer Harris, et al., “US Food Company Branded Advergames on the Internet: Children’s exposure and effects on snack consumption,”…
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Obese Child Placed in Foster Care Ordered into Uncle’s Custody
A Cleveland judge has reportedly decided that an obese third grader who was removed from his mother’s custody after she was apparently unable to control his weight can now be removed from foster care. County child welfare officials had convinced the court in October 2011 that the 218-pound child was in imminent danger; they had…
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McDonald’s Sidesteps San Francisco Toy Ban, Will Appeal $1.8 Million Brazilian Fine
McDonald’s Corp. has reportedly responded to a San Francisco ban on giving away toys with its Happy Meals® by allowing parents to purchase the toys with a 10-cent charitable contribution when they buy a Happy Meal®. While the toy purchase is purportedly a separate transaction that complies with the new ordinance, it will still require…
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EWG Report Criticizes Sugar Content of Children’s Cereals
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has issued a December 2011 report claiming that many popular cereal brands marketed to children contain “just as much sugar as a dessert—or more.” After reviewing 84 popular brands, the report’s authors alleged that three out of four cereals failed “to meet the federal government’s proposed voluntary guidelines for food…
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Nutella® False Ad Suits to Proceed as Statewide Class Action
A federal court in California has entered an order certifying a class in consolidated lawsuits alleging that the company which produces Nutella® falsely advertises its product as healthy and beneficial to children despite making the hazelnut spread with “dangerous levels of fat and sugar.” In re Ferrero Litig., No. 11-205 (S.D. Cal., decided November 15, 2011).…
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Congress Blocks USDA’s Proposed School Lunch Rules, Boosts FDA Food Safety Budget
Congress has approved and President Barack Obama (D) has signed a bipartisan agricultural spending bill (H.R. 2112) that will block or delay regulations aimed at making school lunches healthier. Signed into law on November 18, 2011, the bill will, among other things, prohibit the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from limiting starchy vegetables, such as…