--- title: Italy Might Forbid Parents From Raising Vegan Kids description: A new proposed law would give parents jail time for serving their children vegan diets, citing malnutrition concerns. canonical: https://time.com/4447463/italy-vegan-parents-law/ author: Raisa Bruner article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-08-10T21:50:56.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:35:21.284Z og:title: Italian Parents Might Be Forbidden from Raising Vegan Kids og:description: A proposed law suggests that veganism should be made illegal for children. og:url: https://time.com/4447463/italy-vegan-parents-law/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfa268be582c784e0/6988a1eda988ca5c236b90c7/italian-salami.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: stuff.salami Citterio Italian Style Salame with Prosciutto og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Italian Parents Might Be Forbidden from Raising Vegan Kids twitter:description: A proposed law suggests that veganism should be made illegal for children. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfa268be582c784e0/6988a1eda988ca5c236b90c7/italian-salami.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Italian Parents Could Soon Be Legally Forbidden From Raising Vegan Kids  by [Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Aug 10, 2016 9:50 PM UTC  stuff.salami Citterio Italian Style Salame with Prosciutto (Photo by Annie Wells/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) stuff.salami Citterio Italian Style Salame with Prosciutto (Photo by Annie Wells/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)Annie Wells—Getty Images  by [Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Aug 10, 2016 9:50 PM UTC Italy — land of the meats and cheeses, prosciuttos and mozzarellas and pizzas — might be putting its foot down when it comes to its [children’s diets](http://time.com/4087294/heart-health-childhood-diet/). A new law proposed by the center-right Forza Italia party calls for parents to be held legally responsible [if they serve their children a vegan diet](http://time.com/4346551/vegan-diet-vegetarian/?iid=sr-link1) — or, in the parlance of the bill, “a diet devoid of elements essential for healthy and balanced growth,” [Reuters reports.](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-italy-vegans-law-idUSKCN10L16Z) The law comes after [a few high-profile, concerning cases](http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-37034619) of undernourishment have been linked to vegan diets. In one instance, a Milanese one-year-old child was found to have the weight of a three-month-old after having been raised on a vegan diet. In another example, a 12-year-old boy’s growth was stunted, according to his father, due to his mother’s choice of nourishment for her son. (The parents were divorced.) “I have nothing against vegans or veganism as long as it is a free choice by adults,” Italian lawmaker Elvira Savino told Reuters. “I just find it absurd that some parents are allowed to impose their will on children in an almost fanatical, religious way, often without proper scientific knowledge or medical consultation.” The law would apply to minors under the age of 16. If the bill passes, vegan parents could be in for a rude awakening: jail sentences could be as severe as seven years, if a child is determined to have died from malnutrition. For just serving up a vegan diet, the parent would still have to deal with a one-year imprisonment. Critics, however, note that Italy should first focus on the [childhood obesity epidemic](http://www.oecd.org/els/health-systems/obesityandtheeconomicsofpreventionfitnotfat-italykeyfacts.htm) first. 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