European Commission launches "EU Mini-chefs," a website for children on healthy cooking
The European Commission and Euro-toques International, the European Chefs' association, today launched "EU Mini-chefs" - a website for children which aims to contribute to the fight against child obesity by encouraging healthy eating and cooking. It promotes the European Day for Healthy Food and Cooking, to be celebrated on 8 November 2007. On that day chefs across the EU will demonstrate to children how to cook and eat healthily in schools and restaurants. The website also outlines how children can take part in a drawing contest for a poster to be used in the campaign. It provides an internet forum on healthy food & cooking for parents, teachers and children. The website includes simple healthy recipes and cooking advice from some of the best chefs of Europe.
EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said: "Obesity is on the rise in Europe, especially among children. Each year over 400,000 more children become overweight or obese in the EU. It is everybody's responsibility to counter this trend. Today we are joining forces with Euro-toques International to launch a website for children to help them understand the importance of eating and cooking in a healthy way. We want to encourage children, teachers and parents to develop good habits for healthy food."
Through EU Mini-chefs the Commission and Euro-Toques International are also launching a drawing contest for European schoolchildren. The competition's theme is: "the pleasure of eating well in Europe." The drawing that wins the contest will be used throughout the Union as the poster for the European Day of Healthy Food and Cooking.
Check out the EU Minichefs at http://eu.mini-chefs.eu