Health Concerns

Disney Draws Heat for Pimping Characters to Junk Food Packages

Under fire
Under fire Photo: Kanko/Flickr

In June, Disney caved to our nation’s dietary watchdogs, effectively banning junk food advertising from its own network. No surprise, then, that the food narcs are now pushing Disney to an even higher standard of fun-free living, asking the company to remove its cartoon characters from the packages of holiday treats that could be transforming kids into rotund little Pooh bears. The Center for Science in the Public Interest sent an e-mail to Bob Iger yesterday, pestering the Disney CEO to remove Cinderella’s slipper from a package of Halloween sugar cookies and tear Buzz Lightyear’s heroic visage from lollipop wrappers, among other such character appearances.

The L.A. Times reports that the letter asks Disney to consider offering more Disney-branded nuts, dried fruit, and pencils instead, effectively turning the happiest sugar-pushers on earth into the kind of old fogies kids bolt from come Halloween.

Currently, Disney already requires that 85 percent of any character-branded snacks meet set health and nutrition guidelines. But if a 15 percent junk food level is deemed too high for Disney and its overseers, just wait until both parties encounter the wicked ways of the Butter Queen.

Food cops urge Disney to remove its characters from candy packs [LAT]

Disney Draws Heat for Pimping Characters to Junk Food Packages