Mexico stops sales of dumping food in schools to combat children’s overweight

A dietary ban on government -sponsored junctions in schools throughout Mexico came into force on Saturday, officials said, while the country tries to treat one of the worst epidemics in the world and diabetes epidemics.

The health guidelines, first published last fall, take a direct blow to the salty and sweet processed products that have become a key element for generations of Mexican school students, such as sugar -free fruit drinks, packed chips, artificial pork strips and bad smells.

Noting that the detention was made law, Mexico’s Ministry of Education posted on X: “Farewell, junk food!” She encouraged parents to support the government’s crusade by cooking healthy foods for their children.

“One of the essential principles of the new Mexican school system is healthy living,” said Mario Delgado, Secretary of Public Health. “There is a high level of acceptance of this policy among parents.”

Mexico’s ambitious attempt to recover its food culture and reprogram the next generation of consumers is being seen closely around the world as governments fight to turn the tide into a global overweight epidemic.

In the United States, for example, Trump administration secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pledged to increase the country’s food system and “make America again healthy” aiming for ultra -processed foods to curb overweight and disease growth.

According to Mexico’s new order, schools should phase any food and drink that even exhibits a black warning logo marking it in salt, sugar, calories and fat. Mexico implemented the mandatory package labeling system in 2020.

Applied Monday morning, starting school week, stopping dumping also requires schools to serve more nutritious alternatives to dumping, such as tacos beans, and provide simple drinking water.

“Much is much better to eat a taco bean than a bag of chips,” said Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has protected the ban.

Mexico’s children consume more dilapidated food than anywhere else in Latin America, according to UNICEF, which classifies the epidemic of the country’s childhood overweight as an emergency. Sugar drinks and highly processed foods make up 40% of the total calories that children consume within a day, the agency reports.

“At my daughter’s school, they told us that future activities would not have candy, it would be completely different, with fruits, vegetables and other foods that are healthy for children,” said Aurora Martínez, a mother of two. “It will help us a lot.”

One -third of Mexican children are already considered overweight or thick, according to government statistics.

School administrators were found in violation of the order facing a firm fine, ranging from 545 to $ 5,450.

But implementation presents a challenge in a country where earlier bans of waste food have fought to gain withdrawal and monitoring has been weak in 255,000 Mexico schools, many of which lack water resources – even reliable internet and electricity.

It was also not clear that the government would stop the sale of dumping on sidewalks outside school campuses, where street vendors usually hawk candy, chips, nachos and ice cream for children during the break and after school day.

“It will be difficult,” said Abril Geraldine Rose de León, a children’s therapist. “But it will be reached in the long run.”