Consumer groups in the UK have long criticised food manufacturers for their aggressive marketing techniques towards children, which, the groups claim, encourage our infants to consume a less than healthy diet. A move this week by the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) should go someway towards appeasing these groups. The FSA announced that it is to commission a major review of research into the promotion of foods to children

The Agency is calling for proposals to carry out the review, which will look into whether adverts and other promotions for foods high in fat, sugar and salt are having a damaging effect on children's diets, undermine healthy eating advice and contribute to childhood obesity and long-term health problems.

The Agency plans to work with the food industry to develop guidelines on best practice in labelling and promotion for at least the majority of foods aimed at children. These would complement the current arrangements for regulating promotional activity. In order to achieve this the FSA needs to establish the impact current practice is having on children and what they eat.

According to the FSA, there is already a large amount of research in this area and part of the review will involve updating an earlier Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food review on television advertising and its effects on children's diet. The closing date for research proposals for the review is 9 August 2002.