The ruling aims to improve the nutrition of girls and boys in schools, as well as regulate and prohibit the sale of food that does not meet nutritional criteria.
This is the second reform that prohibits junk food in schools. In December 2021, the deputies approved a modification to article 50 of the General Law on the Rights of Children and Adolescents, which also endorses removing ultra-processed products from schools.
Why does this ruling matter?
Healthy eating in schools seeks to contribute to the control of high rates of childhood obesity and chronic and acute malnutrition.
Mexico is one of the countries in the world with the most overweight children and for years it has been trying to regulate the sale of food in schools, without much success so far.
In 2010, the General Guidelines for the Sale and Distribution of Food and Beverages Prepared and Processed in Schools of the National Education System were created, which indicate what food can be distributed in basic education schools.
Starting in 2014, these guidelines became mandatory and included penalties. However, this did not prevent low nutritional level products from being marketed in schools.