The quarrel over the heating law has hardly been settled when the next conflict appears in the coalition. The law by Federal Food Minister Cem Özdemir (Greens), which is intended to protect children from being overweight by restricting the advertising of unhealthy foods, is coming under pressure. There are differences between the Greens and the FDP, again. “We are happy to talk about restricting advertising for unhealthy food on relevant children’s channels or in the vicinity of schools and daycare centers,” said the agricultural spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group, Gero Hocker, of the SZ. But what Özdemir is planning “is going too far”.
What is meant is the plan of the Federal Minister of Nutrition to push back the consumption of sugary muesli, greasy snacks or sweet drinks among children and young people up to the age of 14. In Germany, 15 percent of them are overweight, and six percent are even extremely overweight. Scientists and consumer advocates have been criticizing the inaction of politicians for years.
German doctors are also “urgently” calling for a legal regulation
The nutritionists, for example, point to Great Britain, where advertising for greasy burgers, pizza or soft drinks has been successfully banned at certain times of the day. The proportion of people who are extremely overweight has fallen by 4.8 percent. The German Doctors’ Association recently warned against marketing strategies that only serve to increase profits and “deliberately” damage the health of growing generations. A legal regulation is “urgently” required.
As agreed in the coalition agreement, Green Minister Özdemir now wants to prevent advertising for foods high in fat, sugar or salt “in the advertising environment of children”. TV and radio advertising for unhealthy things that are “broadcast between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m.” should disappear, according to his draft bill, which is currently being coordinated between the departments. But advertising for sugar-coated mueslis should also be banned in youth channels on the Internet or on posters next to schools and kindergartens, as well as their sponsorship.
The advertising and food industry has of course vetoed it: it has not been proven that advertising bans help against obesity. Now the FDP is also reporting. The liberals are willing to restrict advertising for unhealthy food that is aimed directly at children, for example in comics or around children’s programs, said the FDP politician Hocker. But to generally ban certain advertising between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. “is not an adequate definition of advertising directed at children”.
Özdemir’s ministry rejects criticism: It’s not about cheese advertising
The protest is fueled by a half-finished draft bill that has now been circulated in Berlin, along with work notes. This shows that Özdemir’s house is working on limit values above which a product should be considered harmful. It is based on the nutritional value model of the World Health Organization. Dairy products that contain more than 17 grams of fat per 100 grams are also considered unhealthy.
Immediately she calculated Picture-Zeitung Özdemir, according to this definition, butter or cream cheese containing 25 grams of fat, or Leerdammer cheese with a good 27 percent, should no longer be advertised between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. FDP politician Hocker calls the idea of an advertising ban between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. for healthy products such as hard cheese “outrageous”. “This shows that we have to go back to the draft law.”
Özdemir’s spokesman dismissed the criticism as misleading. Leerdammer is not advertised on any children’s channel, but specifically for unhealthy products. “It’s about protecting children overall from foods that are too high in fat and sugar.” For this purpose, general limit values would have to be defined. However, the draft is not finished yet. We’re working on it, it’s going to take a while.