Ecobreves – MEXICO: Campaign Against Misleading Food Ads

By - - and IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

MEXICO CITY, Jul 21 2007 (IPS) - The Mexican non-governmental group Consumer Power, whose complaint won the removal of children's breakfast cereal advertising from television, is now preparing action against similar ads and pushing for legislative regulation. In June, the group filed a complaint before the Federal Prosecutor for the Consumer about an advertisement for Zucaritas cereal, made by Kellogg's, charging that it misled children that they would be able to jump three meters (10 ft) if they ate the cereal.

“The strategy is to keep up the denunciations and take advantage of a climate favorable for regulating advertising for junk food,” Consumer Power director Alejandro Calvillo told Tierramérica.

Activists and doctors argue that junk food is toxic to children's health and encourages obesity. Since 2006, the Mexican Congress has been debating bills to regulate advertising for foods of questionable nutritional value.