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Marketing junkfood to children : two familiar figures visit the World Health Assembly -  Ronald McDonald and Tony the Tiger look for  new jobs  handing out their CVs to delegates attending the World Health Assembly.  20th May

Here I am being refused entry into the UN, apparently because I failed to meet the UN dress code. Later in the week I was given a much better reason for the refusal - that it was deceptive. Perhaps the corporations that use these disguises  to befriend children  could think about that!   

CLICK HERE for PDF of Consumers International Press release

CLICK HERE for World Public Health Nutrition Weblink. 

CLICK HERE:  Kelloggs has to payout. 28th May:  www.cerealsettlement.com

Patti as TonyHere I am outside the headquarters of the World Health Organization  taking a breather. 

the arrest

GroupshotAfter years of selling burgers, fries and sugary breakfast cereal to children around the globe, Ronald McDonald and Tony the Tiger are in Geneva at the World Health Assembly to apologise for their past behaviour and to find new careers.

The campaign organised by Consumers International (CI), the global voice for consumers and El Poder del Consumidor, a Mexican consumer organisation with support from IBFAN.

The campaign is calling for countries to ban the marketing of food high in fat, sugar and salt to children.

(CLICK HERE for more about IBFAN and Baby Milk Action in Mexico)

 In 2010 more than 42 million children under the age of five years were overweight or obese and this figure is increasing every year. In the same year, the World Health Organisation developed a set of recommendations on marketing of foods and non alcoholic beverages to children to guide member states in designing newpolicies or strengthening existing policies on food marketing to children. This year WHO member states will be debating a new action plan to tackle non-communicable diseases that includes recommendations for limiting the marketing of food to children.

The FRC supports the action of Consumers International, as investigations showed that Swiss children are  also exposed to "junkfood" (frc.ch/enfants-malbouffe)

- More than 80% of foods for children are too high in sugar, fat or salt

- In Switzerland, a child sees an average of 2,100 food ads on TV each year, more than 80% for fast food, sweets and snacks

- 89% of supermarket checkouts in Switzerland carry sweets and other treats at child eye level

Additional information:

Anna Glayzer (English), Consumer International: +44 79 584 25 622

Barbara Pfenniger, FRC: 021 331 00 90

Active since 1959, the Consumer Federation Romande (FRC) is an independent, nonprofit organisation. The FRC is not a service to the state, but a private, state-approved organisation, supported mainly contributions and donations from its members.

Consumers International (www.consumersinternational.org) is the international federation of consumer organisations with more than 240 members in 115 countries around the world. In 2008 CI launched a set of and has worked with members around the world to highlight the extent of marketing of food high in fat, sugar and salt to children (http://www.consumersinternational.org/news-and-media/resource-zone/recommendations-for-an-international-code-on-marketing-of-foods-and-non-alcoholic-beverages-to-children#.UZXwJoLvdZE )

El Poder del Consumidor (www.elpoderdelconsumidor.org ) is a Mexican consumer organisation and member of Consumers International. El Poder, together with the Nutritional Health Alliance as a Mexican network in the fight on obesity, is campaigning for a ban on the marketing of junk food to children.

In April 2013 the Alliance organised “the arrest of the junk food cartel” including both Ronald and Tony in Mexico City. See the film here: http://consint.info/MexicoArrest

The WHO draft action plan for the prevention and control of non communicable diseases will be debated by member states at the World Health Assembly which is being held in Geneva from 20 – 28 May 2013.

The draft WHO plan: http://bit.ly/hRLgvZ