EU threatens junk food ad ban
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-01-23 08:41

A cartoon image of the movie "Supersize Me".The documentary premiered at Sundance in January, 2004. Less than two months later, McDonalds announced that it will no longer sell any of their menu items in "Super Size", although they officially deny that this move was in reaction to the film.(Xinhua file photo)

The European Union said it would ban junk food advertising if their makers refused to cut back the product marketing aimed at children and make labeling clearer, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.

EU warns the food industry it has a year to go. "If this doesn't produce satisfactory results, we will proceed to legislation" Markos Kyprianou, EU health and consumer affairs commissioner, told the Financial Times in an interview.

Mr Kyprianou added that he wanted clearer food labeling "more easily understood by a consumer who doesn't have a PhD in chemistry".

Obesity problem is wide spread all across Europe. Close to 25 percent of the children in the EU are obese. In Italy, about 36 per cent of nine-year-olds suffer overweight. "We made fun of the Americans in a way. It is a European problem now," Kyprianou said.

The CIAA, a food industry group, said it was already working with the EU and would promote self-regulation rather than legislation.

The EU has already banned newspaper tobacco advertising recently on consumer protection grounds.

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