Nearly a dozen global food companies will on Tuesday announce plans to halt advertising junk food to children under 12 throughout Europe by the end of next year in the first serious attempt by food groups to tackle one of the causes of childhood obesity.

The self-imposed ban, which follows a similar move by soft drink companies last year, comes after Markos Kyprianou, the European Union’s health and consumer affairs commissioner, warned industry to stop advertising junk food and drink to children voluntarily or face legislation.