January 8, 2013
In South America, countries have begun to pass legislation limiting the offer of incentive items geared toward children with foods containing certain nutritional values. In Chile, the Ministry of Health has been given the authority to set limits and labeling requirements for foods high in calories, fats and sugars. The regulation prohibits the offer of incentive items to market foods that do not meet these nutritional requirements toward children under the age of 14. Similar legislation was also passed in Florianopolis, Brazil, which prohibited the marketing of a meal that is accompanied by a gift or toy. The country of Brazil has proposed to adopt similar legislation, but has yet to do so.
The United States has also begun to take measures regarding toys in children's meals. For example in Santa Clara County, California an ordinance was passed which restricted the offering of incentive items for single food items or meals which had certain amounts of calories, sodium, fats or sugars. In San Francisco County, California, law makers also set limits for restaurant foods that were sold with a toy or other youth focused incentive item. New York has proposed similar legislation as these bills, which have not yet passed.