May 20, 2010 (Salon.com)

A California city recently passed an ordinance aimed at improving the health of children and adolescents by setting healthy nutritional standards for children's meals accompanied by toys or other incentive items. 

Believed to be the first of its kind in the U.S., the Santa Clara, CA ordinance would prohibit restaurants from giving away an incentive item, such as a toy, with a meal that contains more than 485 calories, more than 600 milligrams of sodium, or excessive amounts of fat and sugars.   Even though it's largely symbolic – the ban would apply only to a dozen fast-food restaurants – the intent is to encourage families to seek healthy eating choices for their children by permitting restaurants to offer toys and other incentive items only with foods that meet specific national nutritional criteria.

A 2008 study by the Center for Science in the Public Interest showed that 10 out of 12 meals that came with toys exceeded the recommended caloric limits for children.

A restaurant would face fines of $250 for a first offense, $500 for a second and up to $1,000 for subsequent violations.  The California Restaurant Association, which lobbied against the ordinance, has 90 days to provide a counter-proposal. 

Full article.