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U.S., U.K. Lawmakers Address Obesity, Kids Marketing
By Betsy Spethmann
PROMO Xtra, Mar 23 2004
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Food marketers will not be held liable for consumer obesity if a bill now before the U.S. Senate becomes law.
Meanwhile, the U.K. Board of the Food Standards Agency will create guidelines for marketing food to kids, while health organizations continue to push for a ban on "junk" food ads targeting kids.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act (HR 339) on March 10. It forbids consumers to sue food marketers for causing obesity, and will immediately dismiss any suit that is pending when the law takes effect. It protects distributors, trade associations and marketing agencies as well.
The Act still allows legal action against marketers who violate any federal or state law on manufacturing, labeling and marketing food items if the violation results in obesity. The measure passed 276 to 139. (A related resolution, HR 552, protects marketers of food and non-alcoholic beverages from "frivolous" lawsuits as long as marketers comply with federal and state statutes.)
The Senate held hearings last fall on a similar bill, the Common Sense Consumption Act (S 1428), but that bill is still in committee.
The U.K. Board of Food Standardsequivalent to the U.S. Department of Agriculture—will develop guidelines for food marketers to cut fat, salt and sugar in products targeting kids; improve labeling to make those ingredients more clear; work with schools to expand healthful items on menus and in vending machines; urge celebrities and athletes to promote healthful foods; and urge broadcasters to associate TV characters with healthful foods, an initiative now underway at the BBC. The food standards board will track and report on industry use of its guidelines.
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