The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced regulations to manage the advertising and promotion of food that is inappropriate for children’s health.
Beginning next month, commercials advertising unhealthy food are to be prohibited from broadcasting on children’s channels between 5pm to 9pm, and unhealthy meals aimed at children be prohibited from offering free toys, based on the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品安全衛生管理法), that was passed on Nov. 20 and is to be implemented on Jan. 1.
“Snacks, candies, beverages, frozen treats and fast-food” that contain “trans fats, saturated fats, sodium or added sugar” exceeding regulation standards will be targeted by the new regulation, the FDA said.
The regulation stipulates that trans fats should not exceed 30 percent of the total daily calorie intake, saturated fats should not exceed 10 percent the total daily calorie intake, sodium should not exceed 400mg per serving and added sugars should not exceed 10 percent the total daily calorie intake.
FDA official Chih Lan-hui (遲蘭慧) said the targeted food products are to be banned from “airing commercials between 5pm to 9pm on children’s channels” and “show signs of using these food to replace nutritious meals in their advertising.”
Advertising of food products considered unhealthy for children are allowed to be aired in time slots when children are less likely to be watching television or on other channels, such as news channels, less often watched by children alone, she said.
Chih said the regulated food products are no longer allowed to offer free toys, or use toys as rewards for attracting children.
Fast food chain McDonald’s has already changed its menu late last month in response to the regulations, and kids’ meals are now served with fruit or salad and juice or milk, instead of fries and soda, she said.
Violations of the act face a fine between NT$40,000 and NT$4 million, (US$1211 to US$121,193) the FDA said, adding it will ask health departments to supervise companies and increase inspections when the regulation comes into effect.
AGING: While Japan has 22 submarines, Taiwan only operates four, two of which were commissioned by the US in 1945 and 1946, and transferred to Taiwan in 1973 Taiwan would need at least 12 submarines to reach modern fleet capabilities, CSBC Corp, Taiwan chairman Chen Cheng-hung (陳政宏) said in an interview broadcast on Friday, citing a US assessment. CSBC is testing the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, the Hai Kun (海鯤, Narwhal), which is scheduled to be delivered to the navy next month or in July. The Hai Kun has completed torpedo-firing tests and is scheduled to undergo overnight sea trials, Chen said on an SET TV military affairs program. Taiwan would require at least 12 submarines to establish a modern submarine force after assessing the nation’s operational environment and defense
Yangmingshan National Park authorities yesterday urged visitors to respect public spaces and obey the law after a couple was caught on a camera livestream having sex at the park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) earlier in the day. The Shilin Police Precinct in Taipei said it has identified a suspect and his vehicle registration number, and would summon him for questioning. The case would be handled in accordance with public indecency charges, it added. The couple entered the park at about 11pm on Thursday and began fooling around by 1am yesterday, the police said, adding that the two were unaware of the park’s all-day live
The coast guard today said that it had disrupted "illegal" operations by a Chinese research ship in waters close to the nation and driven it away, part of what Taipei sees a provocative pattern of China's stepped up maritime activities. The coast guard said that it on Thursday last week detected the Chinese ship Tongji (同濟號), which was commissioned only last year, 29 nautical miles (54km) southeast of the southern tip of Taiwan, although just outside restricted waters. The ship was observed lowering ropes into the water, suspected to be the deployment of scientific instruments for "illegal" survey operations, and the coast
A former soldier and an active-duty army officer were yesterday indicted for allegedly selling classified military training materials to a Chinese intelligence operative for a total of NT$79,440. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office indicted Chen Tai-yin (陳泰尹) and Lee Chun-ta (李俊達) for contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法) and the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例). Chen left the military in September 2013 after serving alongside then-staff sergeant Lee, now an army lieutenant, at the 21st Artillery Command of the army’s Sixth Corps from 2011 to 2013, according to the indictment. Chen met a Chinese intelligence operative identified as “Wang” (王) through a friend in November
RSS