Fund-raisers for London's bid to stage the 2012 Olympic Game are set to ban fast-food companies from becoming sponsors.
Barbara Cassani, the chairman of the bid-team, hopes to raise a third of the £30 million cost of the bid from the private sector but fears that donations from fast-food companies may undermine the message that the Games can deliver health benefits by motivating young people to take up sport.
The move has been backed by health campaigners and is likely to receive government support, as it is looks to cut child obesity. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has embarked on a consultation on the promotion of foods to children, which is likely to result in restrictions on advertisements directed at children.
Kath Dalmeny, a policy officer for the campaign group the Food Commission, said: “The Olympics is meant to be an aspirational event intended to get people interested in sport. This message is completely undermined by the choice of sponsors sometimes.”
A spokesman for the FSA said: “The consultation will look at the promotion of unhealthy foods in schools, on television and by celebrities so this is relevant to how the Olympics is marketed."
