Agencies propose voluntary nutrition goals for kids’ food

The proposal was released by the Agriculture Department, the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Federal Trade Commission. “Industry has the resources and creative know-how to encourage children to make better choices,” the agencies said in a document outlining their goals.

The agencies said that, by 2016, food marketed to children should contain no trans fat, 1 gram or less of saturated fat and no more than 13 grams of added sugar. They also want such foods to include at least one nutrient from a list of food types that includes fruit, vegetables, fish and nuts.

Meanwhile, the Grocery Manufacturers Association released a study Thursday that found a 50 percent drop in the number of food ads viewed by children between the ages of 2 and 11. Ads for particularly unhealthy products such as cookies, frozen pizza and soft drinks fell by 95 to 100 percent, according to GMA.