A voluntary rating system on children's snacks will be
introduced in the middle of this month to provide parents and
youngsters with better nutritional information, a health official
said.
The system is part of the Guideline on Children's Snack
Consumption, framed by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) and commissioned by the Ministry of Health, Zhang
Bing, a division director with the center told China
Daily.
"The guideline is not mandatory," Zhang said.
"It just aims to provide advice and information on snack eating
to parents, children and manufacturers."
A survey by the CDC found 60 percent of the children polled ate
snacks every day and that their choice was heavily influenced by
advertising.
They showed little or no awareness of the snacks' nutritional
value, however.
Zhang said the guideline is intended to raise awareness among
children and society as a whole of the need to eat snacks only as
part of a balanced diet.
"You are what you eat," Zhang said.
"We should help children choose foods that are good for their
health and well-being."
The new guidelines classify snacks into three categories.
Items such as cotton candy, chocolate pie and potato chips are
given a "restricted" label, which advises against excessive
consumption.
Black chocolate, coffee and dried preserved beef get a "careful
consumption" rating, while milk, nuts, seeds and fruits can be
consumed "frequently".
More information on the guideline will be made available to the
public in the form of brochures, lectures and media reports, Zhang
said.
However, some parents are calling for stricter controls.
Mrs Wang, the mother of a 7-year-old boy from Beijing, wants to
see the introduction of a compulsory labeling system for
snacks.
"Manufacturers should be ordered to clearly include the rating
of their snacks to help people make the right choice."
The Ministry of Health is currently working on such a
regulation, Zhang said.
(China Daily September 7, 2007)