What we call “junk food” in Spain is called “junk food” in Mexico. The meaning is the same: foods that are high in calories, fat, sugar, sodium and preservatives, but low in essential nutrients such as vitamins or fiber. Now the Mexican government has given schools an ultimatum: If such “menus” are not stopped within six months, there will be consequences.

News. Mexico’s new president, Claudia Sheinbaum, said yesterday that schools should offer drinking fountains and alternative snacks such as bean tacos instead of “junk food.” “It’s much better to have bean tacos than a bag of chips,” Sheinbaum said. “Drinking hibiscus flower water is much better than soda.” The centers also have six months to enforce the junk food ban or face hefty fines.

Background: Authorities are facing one of the most problematic scenarios regarding childhood obesity in the world; In this scenario, approximately one-third of children in Mexico are overweight, and according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), Obesity affects more than 70% of adults and 40% of children in Mexico.

Inside the story. The country has been trying to put an end to the problem of feeding children for some time. Between 2010 and 2020, it placed warning labels on the front of food packages to warn consumers about high levels of salt, added sugar, excess calories and saturated fat. To give you an idea, some snacks carry four warning labels.

2023 Regulations. Last year, a reform to the General Education Act was approved that bans the sale and advertising of ultra-processed foods in schools in an effort to combat health problems such as obesity and diabetes. This includes products that are high in fat, sugar and sodium.

The idea was that Mexican schools, both public and private, should implement new regulations to serve healthy meals by encouraging the consumption of local foods and drinking water rather than soft drinks or fried foods. Since then, cooperatives and school cafeterias have been required to promote healthy lifestyles and the sale of foods that do not support the health of students has been banned.

Lukewarm response and non-misleading data. The problem is that despite efforts to regulate such foods, it is estimated that 9 out of 10 schools continue to serve junk food, according to civic bodies. Children in Mexico are the largest consumer of junk food in South America, with many getting 40% of their total calorie intake from it, according to the UN Children’s Agency, which classifies childhood obesity as an emergency.

In fact, in the research conducted between 2023 and 2024 in more than 10,000 schools in the country, it was revealed that 98 percent of them consumed junk food, 95 percent consumed sugary drinks, and 79 percent consumed soft drinks. Junk food advertisements were found in 25% of schools.

New rules and penalties. The new rules therefore target products that have become staples for two or three generations of Mexican schoolchildren: sugary fruit drinks, potato chips, artificial chicharrones, and pepper-salted and soy-wrapped peanuts, among others.

In this context, school administrators who violate the decision after six months will face a fine of between $545 and $5,450, which can be doubled in the event of a second violation. To put it in perspective, in some cases fines can amount to almost a year’s salary.

Water problem. The only “but” of the proposal is the impossibility of its 100% realization. Why? The vast majority of Mexico’s 255,000 schools do not provide students with free drinking water. According to the 2020 report, the drive to install drinking water fountains in about 10,900 schools in the country, or about 4%, was successful.

Additionally, many schools in poor or remote areas have difficulty providing acceptable bathrooms, internet connections, or electricity. It is also unclear how the government will enforce the ban on sidewalks outside schools, where vendors set up tables to sell to children during recess. (about 77% of schools have such stalls).

It remains to be seen how the measure will be implemented, but under the new rules, schools will have to phase out any products containing even a single warning label from snack stands.

Image | UNAM, PXHere

in Xataka | UK moves towards ‘smoking’ junk food: plans to ban all online advertising

in Xataka | They are millionaires but they eat like children. Warren Buffett and Mark Zuckerberg share passion for junk food