Spain will move to restrict the sale of energy drinks to minors, Consumer Affairs Minister Pablo Bustinduy said on Wednesday, as the government steps up efforts to protect children from unhealthy food and beverage marketing.
Bustinduy said the ministry is drafting a regulation to ban the sale of energy drinks to those under 16, while raising the minimum age to 18 for products containing more than 32 milligrams of caffeine per 100 milliliters.
Public support for tighter rules is strong, according to a barometer commissioned by the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition. The survey found that 91 percent of respondents believe sales of energy drinks should be banned for minors, and nearly 40 percent think the ban should extend to those under 16.
The same barometer showed that 79 percent of Spaniards agree that advertising of unhealthy foods aimed at minors should be prohibited, amid broader calls to shield children from marketing practices that promote nutritionally poor products.
Bustinduy said the government will also unveil, in the coming weeks, a proposal to regulate advertising of unhealthy foods, aligning Spain with recommendations from health authorities such as the World Health Organization and with measures adopted in countries including Portugal, Norway, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Sweden.
Citing a Gasol Foundation report, Bustinduy warned that 80 percent of children and adolescents in Spain consume unhealthy foods and drinks, calling the issue a public-health priority.
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