§ Ms ShipleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the progress the Food Standard Agency has made in drawing up a code of practice on the marketing of foods to and for children. [73412]
§ Ms BlearsThe Food Standards Agency has met with consumers, enforcement authorities, public interest groups and industry on a number of occasions to try to establish consensus on elements of best practice that would facilitate development of guidance on the promotion of foods to children. However, the Agency has decided to carry out some further research before taking the discussions further.
The Agency has already published, in November 2001, the results of an independent study into parents' and children's attitudes to promotional activity. The next step, this autumn, will be to commission an extensive review of research into the effects of promotional activity on the eating behaviour of children. The Agency expects to publish the results of this review next year and will then restart discussions with stakeholders.