Learning English - Words in the News 14 January, 2005 - Published 14:54 GMT Kraft cuts snack ads for children

The American food group Kraft Foods says it will stop marketing junk food to children. It means that the company will not advertise products with a lot of fat, sugar or salt to children under twelve years old. This report from Mark Gregory: Kraft is one of the world's largest food producers. In America its products include Oreo biscuits and Kool Aid drinks. Likerivals, the company has come under mounting pressureto encourage consumers to cut back on potentially unhealthy foods. There's been particular concern about risingobesity levels in rich countries - in America two thirds of adults and fifteen percent of children are overweight. In a statement Kraft said it recognised that parents were concerned about the mix of food products advertised to young children. The company will no longer run advetisments for high calorie, high fat products in cartoon shows and other television programmes aimed at young viewers. It will also change marketing policies for advertisements in newspapers and other media. Health concerns among the big food firms are driven by legal worries as well consumer pressure - last year the hamburger chain McDonalds fought off a lawsuitby children who blamed their weight problems on its products. Mark Gregory, BBC rivals people or companies which compete in the same market come under mounting pressure if you come under mounting pessure, somebody expects something from you urgently to cut back on to reduce obesity the state of being very fat a statement a declaration health concerns worries about health driven here, forced fought off defeated a lawsuit a legal claim made against a person or company Click here to go to the web link