Taiwan targets McDonald's with latest anti-junk food bill

Want China Times, Staff Reporter 2013-06-04

Happy Meals aren't fun, say Taiwanese legislators. (Photo/China Times)

Taiwanese lawmakers have proposed an amendment to forbid fast food restaurants from offering free toys to attract children, a draft which was dubbed a "McDonald's bill" by ruling KMT lawmaker Wang Yu-min, according to our Chinese-language sister paper China Times.

The draft of the amendment was passed by Legislative Yuan's Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee at the end of May. If the bill passes into law after further readings, foods that are considered harmful to children's health will be subjected to strict controls on their advertisement and promotion. Manufacturers of snacks and fast foods such as chocolate, potato chips, fried chicken and fries, as well as cola and other sugared drinks may no longer be able to promote their products using toy giveaways and similar promotional campaigns.

Wang and other lawmakers proposed that the country's Department of Health should limit or ban the promotion of foods that contain ingredients that may cause chronic diseases in children in the long term.

Offenders would be fined NT$40,000 to NT$200,000 (US$1,335-$6,680) and may be subjected to multiple and consecutive fines. In serious cases, the offender will be required to publish an apology and may be fined between NT$120,000 and NT$600,000 (US$4,000-$20,000).

Though Wang said it is difficult to define the foods that should be banned or limited, she suggested the Department of Health should take the opinions of nutritionists into account, who have said problem foods are those that contain high levels of salt, sugar and calories. There should be no advertising of junk food during children's TV programs, said Kang Jaw-jou, the chief of the department's food and drug administration.

McDonald's Taiwan, which is seen as the top target of the government's campaign, said it has always abided by the country's food and hygiene standards and will continue to do so in the future. The fast food chain also pointed out that it also offers a diverse selection of foods including healthy options such as fruit, salads milk and juices. Parents can select main courses, side items and beverages that they consider healthy, it said. McDonald's also said it prints the nutritional content of its food on its packaging and tray covers in stores as well as on its official website.

References:

Wang Yu-Min　　王育敏

Kang Jaw-jou　　康照州

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Kryon Q&A

(39) Question: Dear Kryon: I've noticed how many children are developing severe allergies to foods (my daughter included). When I've researched this, it seems that most of the allergies are essentially to seeds, grains, legumes, eggs, and dairy. I've noticed that these foods all hold the potential for life, or in the case of dairy, are essentially used to sustain the first stages of life in an animal's baby. My feeling is that because we're not releasing the life force within these foods (that is, sprouting, etc.), they're becoming harmful to us. I would like your impressions of this.

Answer: For thousands of years, these foods have worked for humanity. In these cases you speak about, the main culprit continues to be the way in which these foods are collected and processed. You won't find these allergies in third-world countries, and you won't find them within the children who work on farms, where they eat the foods directly. There will eventually have to come a day when you relax some of your efficiency attributes and go back to the way food was meant to be collected and eaten. And yes... there are effects from how the dairy animals are treated, too. Going back to some basics will help, and so will eliminating some of the procedures that supposedly create a "safer food." These procedures have instead made them begin to look like foreign food to the Human body.