Parents vent anger over McDonald’s meal vouchers awarded to junior athletes

MCDONALD’S has been reprimanded for offering $5 “man of the match’’ certificates to juniors following a complaint by a parent fed up with junk food being pushed on kids.

THE AFL and Victorian sports clubs have vowed to stand by partnerships with McDonald’s, despite the fast-food giant being scolded for rewarding junior athletes with free meal vouchers.

McDonald’s was reprimanded for offering $5 “man of the match’’ certificates to juniors after a complaint by a parent fed up with junk food being pushed on kids.

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“As a parent, I am angry that while participating in weekend soccer, my child was given a ‘man of the match’ award for playing well that involves going to McDonald’s,’’ the parent said.

“I thought that McDonald’s and other fast food outlets had agreed not to advertise to children at sport and this is unacceptable.

“It is hard enough to promote a healthy lifestyle to children in this environment.''

The parent was sick of junk food being pushed on kids. Picture: AFP

The Ad Standards Community Panel found McDonald’s breached standards by offering a voucher to children that “was not for a product that meets the nutritional criteria’’.

Health groups say McDonald’s should stop handing out free food vouchers to children at sport and that partnerships with Victorian footy, cricket and basketball clubs send the wrong message to kids.

Yet McDonald’s has vowed to keep rewarding Aussie kids with vouchers at sport, claiming the decision was related to “an isolated problem’’ with free food offers distributed by a NSW store.

The AFL on Thursday night confirmed the ruling would not impact the league’s commercial partnerships with McDonald’s.

There are fears children are being preyed upon.

Victoria University sports business Professor Hans Westerbeek said children were being preyed upon at a vulnerable age by being offered free fast food. “If you play harder you get junk food,’’ he said. “The correlation is all wrong.’’

Dietitian Dr Helen McCarthy said it was a contentious issue. “From the point of actually giving kids a reward, you would be better off giving them a cap or a football, not food,’’ she said.

But McDonald’s spokesman Chris Grant said the ruling had no impact on vouchers issued by other restaurants which met relevant guidelines.

McDonalds is refusing to cease issuing vouchers.

“McDonald’s were incredibly disappointed to learn of this particular complaint,’’ he said. “We have more than 970 restaurants and work hard with all of them to ensure compliance with the relevant codes. Unfortunately, on this occasion, the voucher issued by this specific restaurant was not passed through our standard approval processes.’’

The parent who made the complaint said mums and dads should take a stand. “I don’t appreciate junk food being given to them as an award during a sporting activity,’’ he said.

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