Federal Food Minister Özdemir wants to restrict advertising for sweets aimed at children. The FDP opposes these plans. The majority of Germans are in favor of it.
According to a survey, a majority of Germans support the plans of Federal Food Minister Cem Özdemir (Greens) to restrict advertising for sweets aimed at children. 66 percent of those surveyed are in favor of extensive restrictions on advertising for foods with a high sugar, fat or salt content in schools, kindergartens, on television and on the Internet. This was the result of a survey for the organization Foodwatch, which is available to the editorial network Germany (RND).
Advertising barriers indispensable
67 percent of those surveyed fear that children and young people could eat too many snacks and sweets. Foodwatch interpreted the results as a clear signal to the traffic light government to initiate comprehensive advertising restrictions: “Not only medical societies, children’s rights and consumer organizations, but also a clear majority of German citizens consider advertising restrictions to be inevitable in order to combat malnutrition in children “Said Foodwatch consumer protection expert Luise Molling the RND.
Özdemir has already watered down his original plans due to pressure from the liberals, she said. Now the FDP must finally give up its blocking attitude: “The health of children and young people should be more important to the liberals than the profit interests of Coca-Cola, Ferrero, McDonald’s and Co.”
Özdemir had proposed advertising bans in “all media relevant to children” – not just for children’s programs, but from 6 a.m. until late in the evening at 11 p.m. At the end of June, he specified the draft: The proposal is now that these advertising bans should apply on weekdays from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and on Sundays from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Özdemir calls for consultations in the Bundestag
For Özdemir, the survey is a confirmation of his legislative plans. “In order for children to be able to grow up healthily”, in addition to education for parents, sufficient exercise and good food in daycare and school, “effective protection against advertising for foods that are too sugary, greasy or salty is also needed,” the minister told RND. Far too many children develop diseases such as obesity or diabetes at a young age, which they usually suffer from for the rest of their lives.
The Minister of Food appealed to the traffic light groups to discuss the law in the Bundestag as soon as possible: “Our draft law should take the next steps in a timely manner in order to be able to be advised broadly and with the involvement of all socially relevant actors,” he told RND. After the summer break, the expert hearing must be initiated: “Those who know the serious consequences of an unhealthy nutritional environment for children should finally have their say.”
According to RND, almost 2,000 people over the age of 14 living in Germany were interviewed by telephone as part of the survey at the beginning of July 2023.