Parents who force a vegan diet on their children could face jail in Italy.
Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia party wants to see parents who feed children under 16 a vegan diet jailed for upto a year.
A new draft legislation would also see sentences rise to four years if malnutrition in children caused by their diet resulted in illness or permanent injury.
There have been four recent cases of vegan children being removed from their parents in Italy in the last 18 months.
A one year-old boy was removed from his parents after being hospitalised through severe calcium deficiency.
Forza party member Elvira Savino wrote that a vegan diet can leave children lacking essential vitamins such as B and D12, as well as zinc and omega 3.
She wrote: “For some years the belief has been spreading in Italy that a vegetarian diet, even in the rigid form of a vegan diet, results in significant health benefits.
“There can be no objection if the person making this choice is an informed adult. A problem arises when minors are involved."
