A consumer protection agency in Brazil has taken aim at the Happy Meal, fining McDonald's Corp on Monday for targeting children with its...
A consumer protection agency in Brazil has taken aim at the Happy Meal, fining McDonald's Corp on Monday for targeting children with its advertising and toys.
The Procon agency in the state of Sao Paulo fined the fast-food company 3.2 million reais, adding fuel to a global debate about fast food and public health. This might not show impact on the fast food giant but if this is repeated then the fine may be doubled or multiples.
As with the case in Brazil, Latin America's biggest economy, much of the debate centers on how McDonald's and other fast-food companies market to children and other young consumers. The penalty in the fast-growing Brazilian market is the latest in a series of increasingly aggressive tactics by local regulators, who recently have cracked down on big companies for perceived consumer abuses.
In recent months, various Brazilian agencies have penalized banks, phone companies and private health plans in the name of consumer protection. In the United States, pediatricians have urged a ban on advertising unhealthy foods to children, but legal measures have gained little traction. A judge there last year threw out a lawsuit against Happy Meal marketing. U.S. regulators have urged companies to voluntarily end food advertising to children unless they are promoting healthy fare, but industry groups have fought fiercely against such proposals.
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In a nod to concerns from public health advocates, McDonald's in recent years added apples and reduced the amount of french fries in its children's Happy Meals, which continue to include a free toy. The chain also moved to start listing calorie information on menus throughout the United States ahead of a national rule requiring such disclosures.
The Procon agency in the state of Sao Paulo fined the fast-food company 3.2 million reais, adding fuel to a global debate about fast food and public health. This might not show impact on the fast food giant but if this is repeated then the fine may be doubled or multiples.
As with the case in Brazil, Latin America's biggest economy, much of the debate centers on how McDonald's and other fast-food companies market to children and other young consumers. The penalty in the fast-growing Brazilian market is the latest in a series of increasingly aggressive tactics by local regulators, who recently have cracked down on big companies for perceived consumer abuses.
In recent months, various Brazilian agencies have penalized banks, phone companies and private health plans in the name of consumer protection. In the United States, pediatricians have urged a ban on advertising unhealthy foods to children, but legal measures have gained little traction. A judge there last year threw out a lawsuit against Happy Meal marketing. U.S. regulators have urged companies to voluntarily end food advertising to children unless they are promoting healthy fare, but industry groups have fought fiercely against such proposals.
.jpg)
In a nod to concerns from public health advocates, McDonald's in recent years added apples and reduced the amount of french fries in its children's Happy Meals, which continue to include a free toy. The chain also moved to start listing calorie information on menus throughout the United States ahead of a national rule requiring such disclosures. 
