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pixie · Site Admin Joined: 16 Jun 2007 Posts: 1985

Popular cartoon characters are being used to promote fatty, sugary, and salty foods to youngsters - and it is undermining parents' efforts to help children eat healthily, a report warns.

Pizza breadsticks show Scooby-DooShrek, Bratz, The Simpsons and the Pink Panther are among the familiar faces appearing on unhealthy products, Which? found.

Researchers bought products featuring popular cartoon characters from UK supermarkets between March and June this year.

They also looked at other food promotions that used cartoons.

All the food products were then analysed to find their levels of salt, saturated fat and sugar.

Speaking about the Cartoon Heroes and Villains report, Which? chief policy advisor Sue Davies said: "There are precious few examples of cartoons being used to promote healthy products."

The consumer group praised Warner Bros and Disney for recently announcing a ban on their characters being used to promote unhealthy products.

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) which represents manufacturers said the UK already had some of the strictest regulations in the world for the promotion of food and drink to children.

Responding to the Which? report, Kellogg's said in a statement: "There have been significant changes in the way we market products with children's appeal in the last three years, in response to consumers' feedback and regulatory changes."

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1280586,00.html