Chile’s fast food chains under pressure over free kids’ toys

Politicians in Chile are urging the government to force some of the world’s biggest food corporations including McDonald’s, Burger King and KFC to stop giving away toys and other treats with children’s meals.

The country introduced a law last month that was designed to stop the practice in the face of high levels of overweight children, but many firms appear to have ignored them.

Now, a complaint has been lodged with the health ministry, which, if upheld, could see companies fined or forced to remove the toys.

“These businesses know that this food damages the health of children and they know that the law is in effect. They’re using fraudulent and abusive means,” Senator Giudo Girardi said as he filed a formal complaint.

Mr Girardi is spearheading the campaign, accusing corporation’s of ignoring children’s health. He has also sets his sights on makers of cereal and other products that attract children with toys, crayons or stickers, as well as markets that sell the food.

Mr Girardi said nearly a quarter of Chile’s 6-year-olds now suffer from childhood obesity and that the passing of the original law came despite seven years of industry lobbying.

“These corporations threatened that if the law was approved there would be no more money for children’s foundations, the sick, or athletes, but we were finally able to create a great alliance between the civil society and scientists to defeat these lobbyists,” the senator said.

The legislation has attracted some foreign support. Sara Deon, an activist with Corporate Accountability International, campaigned for the measures in North America. But she said “Chilean public servants should have no illusions” about implementing it.

“Judging from McDonald’s response to similar health laws in the US we’d expect the corporation to respond as it long has: it will fight tooth and nail to continue marketing to children,” she said.

“It will take every opportunity to blame parents for today’s health epidemic. Marketing to kids is core to McDonald’s brand and to its bottom line.”

In fast-food restaurants in Chile, however, some are questioning the move.

McDonald’s Happy Meals – marketed as Cajitas Felices in Spanish – are popular with youngsters here as they are worldwide.

Florencia Moraga, was playing with her Ice Age movie toys with her father Ricardo at a restaurant in downtown Santiago. He said he takes his daughter every two weeks to the fast-food chain, but would not come back if she becomes overweight.

“She’s healthy, skinny, but a kid with obesity was just sitting next to us. If I were his father I wouldn’t bring him here,” he said.

The Washington-based Center for Science in the Public Interest sued McDonalds over using toys to market its food to children in 2010, but the claim was dismissed in April.

San Francisco banned restaurants last year from providing toys along with meals high in fat, salt, and sugar, but McDonalds has continued providing toys there by charging consumers a small fee for the goodies.