Parents could face six years in prison if they force their children to become vegetarians.

(Baonghean.vn) - An Italian official is calling for a new law that would punish parents who raise their children on a vegan diet or who instill in them "reckless and dangerous eating habits" with a maximum sentence of up to six years in prison, La Repubblica reported on August 10.

Under the new bill, parents could face up to six years in prison if they let their children become vegetarians. Photo: AFP.

The law would "condemn reckless and dangerous eating habits imposed by parents that harm children," the paper quoted Elvira Savino, of the left-wing Forza Italy party, as saying.

While the bill would primarily target vegan diets in situations where parents force children under 16 to give up meat, eggs, dairy and other animal products, any diet that is “deficient in nutrients necessary for growth” would also be subject to penalties.

In his introduction to the bill, Savino proposed a basic penalty of one year for parents, but it could be longer if the child is under 3 years old.

Additionally, if a child becomes ill as a result of the diet, the sentence can be extended from 2.5-4 years, and if the diet results in the child's death, the parents can be behind bars for up to 6 years.

Savino stresses that a "poor" diet can leave children deficient in iron, zinc, B12, omega-3 fatty acids and other vitamins.

However, opposing Savino's view, the president of the Italian Society of Food Science said that a diet high in sugar and excessive fat could be more harmful than a vegan diet.

The call for an anti-vegan law comes after a number of cases of children suffering from severe malnutrition - a result of the emerging vegan trend in Italy.

In June, a two-year-old child in Genoa was hospitalized and treated for vitamin deficiencies, a result of his vegan diet.

Thanh Huyen

(According to RT)