By banishing cartoons and adding warnings, Mexico takes on obesity

By banishing cartoons and adding warnings, Mexico tackles obesit - Bags of crisps for sale in a Mexican grocery store are labelled as high in calories. The country is trying to deal with its obesity epidemic by placing labels on junk foods. - Jair Cabrera/dpa
October 05, 2020
Their days are numbered: the beaming parrot on infant cereal, the pastry chef bear, the cartoon chocolate drops.These cartoons, which have accompanied generations of Mexican consumers and promoted sales, will have to disappear from packaging, accused of being accomplices in the country's obesity epidemic.New regulations oblige the Mexican food industry, including the big international brands, to put warning labels on packaged food and sugary drinks, and to change the presentation of unhealthy products.Mexico, the world's largest consumer of soft drinks, is the country with the largest share of...