Committee seeks to tighten labeling for kids’ food
By Lo Pi / Staff reporter
The legislature’s Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee yesterday advanced draft amendments to prevent snacks from being misleadingly marketed as suitable for infants and toddlers.
Revisions to Article 28 of the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品安全衛生管理法) would ban foods that do not meet safety and nutritional standards for infants from being advertised or labeled in ways that imply they are suitable for young children.
It would also grant the government the authority to mandate warning labels and nutritional disclosures on foods that could lead to chronic diseases or are unsuitable for long-term consumption by children.
Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Lin Ching-yi, left, and Food and Drug Administration Director-General Chiang Chih-kang attend a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee in Taipei yesterday.
Photo: CNA
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Wang Yu-min (王育敏) said some snacks contain high levels of sugar, sodium or saturated fats, but companies often use deceptive slogans such as “loved by adults and kids” or “for the whole family,” which can mislead caregivers into feeding them to babies.
Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Lin Ching-yi (林靜儀) said infant foods are already subject to stricter regulations regarding nutrients and heavy metals.
The amendment aims to close a loophole whereby common foods implicitly target infants through advertising, she said.
The ministry would draft regulations setting thresholds for sugar, sodium and saturated fat content, Lin said, adding that products exceeding these limits would require explicit warning labels so parents can identify them at a glance.
Food and Drug Administration Director-General Chiang Chih-kang (姜至剛) said that rules already restrict the marketing of unhealthy snacks, candies and sugary drinks to children, including a ban on toy giveaways or claims that the snacks can replace regular meals.
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