Menos 'comida basura' para los niños

The American food group Kraft Foods says it will stop marketing junk food to children. It means that the company will not advertise products with a lot of fat, sugar or salt to children under twelve years old.

This report from Mark Gregory:

Kraft is one of the world's largest food producers. In America its products include Oreo biscuits and Kool Aid drinks. Like rivals, the company has come under mounting pressure to encourage consumers to cut back on potentially unhealthy foods. There's been particular concern about rising obesity levels in rich countries - in America two thirds of adults and fifteen percent of children are overweight. In a statement Kraft said it recognised that parents were concerned about the mix of food products advertised to young children.

The company will no longer run advetisments for high calorie, high fat products in cartoon shows and other television programmes aimed at young viewers. It will also change marketing policies for advertisements in newspapers and other media. Health concerns among the big food firms are driven by legal worries as well consumer pressure - last year the hamburger chain McDonalds fought off a lawsuit by children who blamed their weight problems on its products.

Mark Gregory, BBC

Listen to the words

rivals
rivales

come under mounting pressure
fue presionada

to cut back on
reducir

obesity
obesidad

a statement
un comunicado

health concerns
preocupaciones en torno a la salud

driven
motivadas

fought off
ganó

lawsuit
juicio