Disney Launches New Food Policy

The Walt Disney Company introduced new food guidelines for licensed foods and promotions aimed at children. The new policies call for Disney to use its name and characters only on kidfocused products that meet specific guidelines, including limits on calories, fat, saturated fat and sugar. The guidelines are based on The Dietary Guidelines for Americans and have been developed in cooperation with two top child health and wellness experts. Disney's timetable for implementing its new policies is dictated by existing contractual arrangements, the majority of which will lapse in their current form within two years. Disney expects most of its licensed products and promotional tie-ins to meet the new guidelines by the end of 2008. Disney Consumer Products has already begun to offer many licensed products that comply with the guidelines. They include breakfast items such as instant oatmeal featuring characters, like "The Incredibles" and "Kim Possible," and Disney Garden fresh produce such as kid-sized apples and bananas. Lunch and dinner foods such as Mickey-shaped organic ravioli and other pastas are also now available. CG