The European Commissioner for health and food safety, Marcos Kyprianou, has notified the intention of Brussels to grant the European food industry a year’s respite to put an end to its advertising for so-called junk food, i.e. food with a high content of fats, sugar and salt that contributes to the growing phenomenon of obesity in children. After the expiry of twelve months, the Commission will monitor the situation and if necessary introduce laws of a restrictive character, also to improve the labelling of the products in question. These measures form part of the EU’s objective of promoting healthier lifestyles and eating habits, which will lead to the inauguration in March this year of a negotiating table with the food industry to agree on new standards of self-regulation for the sector. In Europe, it is calculated that four children out of ten aged between six and twelve are affected by pathological forms of obesity.
