Schools Enforce Junk Food Ban for Healthy Kids

Starting this Saturday, all educational institutions within the National Education System will prohibit the sale of food and beverages with warning labels. This rule applies to both public and private schools, from pre-primary level up to university.

The Guidelines for the Sale of Food and Beverages in the National Education System were published in the Official Gazette on September 29, 2020. These guidelines not only prohibit the sale of such items but also provide penalties for non-compliance. A period of 180 days was set for mandatory application in all schools.

Consumer advocacy group, El Poder del Consumidor (EPC), has emphasized the importance of enforcing these new measures effectively. The group has called for a continuous surveillance system to ensure compliance in each school. Liliana Bahena, coordinator of EPC's School Feeding campaign, highlighted that studies show an average consumption of 550 calories from junk food per student during the school day.

Bahena pointed out that in Mexico, schools have a higher availability of ultra-processed products compared to other countries. Despite 15 years of unsuccessful attempts to regulate the sale of these products in schools, she believes progress can now be made with the new guidelines and the launch of the "Vive Saludable, Vive Feliz" strategy. However, she warned that EPC has identified 16 attempts by the food industry and private schools to halt the guidelines. Bahena stressed the need for a comprehensive communication campaign to educate the school community about the importance and benefits of implementing the guidelines, along with ensuring the availability of drinking water and healthy food in schools.

Cristina Álvarez, a specialist from the United Nations Fund for Children and Adolescents (UNICEF), noted that the global issue of nutrition for school-age children is the significant increase in overweight and obesity rates. In Mexico, this rate is up to 35 percent for children between 5 and 14 years old, compared to the global rate of 21 percent. For children under 5 years old, the rate is around 6 percent. Álvarez explained that UNICEF's comprehensive approach to nutrition for school-age children and adolescents includes mandatory restrictions on the sale of high-fat, sugar, and salt products.