13 October, 2003
Media Advisory

Inaugural Children's Food Awards this Thursday

The 2003 New Zealand Children's Food Awards will be held this Thursday, October 16, in the Grand Hall of Parliament House from 11am to 12.30pm.

The Children's Food Awards, an initiative from Green MP Sue Kedgley, sought nominations for the best and worst food and drinks available for children to draw attention to the unhealthy products irresistibly marketed to young kiwis.

507 New Zealanders have voted for the winners of the awards such as the Nutritionless Nightmare, the GE Genie, the Cleanest Greenest food, the Sickly Sweet, Salty Supreme and others. All food manufacturers who have been short-listed for the awards have been invited to attend and receive their prizes.

Among the awards to be dished out are ones to expose products containing the highest fat, the highest sugar, the worst breakfast and lunchbox foods, the country's best tuckshops and 'badvertising', an award for the advertising campaign that kids can't resist - and parents can't ignore!

The awards, based on the successful campaign by the Food Commission in Britain, includes the support and attendance of a wide range of community groups who will be presenting the awards, including:
* The Plunket Society
* Fight the Obesity Epidemic
* Parents Centre
* The Maori Women's Welfare League
* MAdGE
* La Leche
* 5+A Day
* Safe Food Campaign

Host Sue Kedgley will be joined by a judging panel that includes champion marathon runner Alison Roe, MAdGE leader Alannah Currie, Parents Centre CEO Viv Gurrey, Matire Glover from the Maori Women's Welfare League and safe food campaigner Jackie Pearson.

The 2003 Children's Food Awards The Grand Hall, Parliament House, Wellington 11am - 12.30pm, Thursday, October 16

For more details: http://www.greens.org.nz/campaigns/safe-food/foodawards.htm

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