CDMX.- A clear prohibition on the distribution or sale of food and beverages with nutritional warning seals within the schools of the national educational system, from preschool to university, and their surroundings, is part of the new guidelines that the Health Secretariats are preparing for publication. and Education.
The “General guidelines to which the preparation, distribution and sale of prepared, processed and bulk foods and beverages in the national educational system must be subject” have been under review since this week by the National Commission for Regulatory Improvement (Conamer). .
Its update is a mandate of the reform to the General Education Law (LGE) approved in December 2023, in which a maximum deadline was set for its publication, which expired on June 18. They establish, among other principles, that food and beverages prepared, distributed and sold in schools must be economically accessible and have low environmental impact; that their selection must be free of any family or business interest of the school or educational authority, or any other economic interest of individuals, and that the consumption of products from local agriculture must be promoted.
“Only foods and beverages that are permitted by the nutritional criteria may be prepared, distributed and sold, completely excluding within all schools those defined in section 3.4 of the Sole Annex of these Guidelines,” they indicate.
The section includes “prepackaged foods and non-alcoholic beverages with the precautionary seals or legends included in the front warning labeling system”; “bulk foods and non-alcoholic beverages, whose ingredients are mostly for industrial use”, and “homemade foods and non-alcoholic beverages whose predominant or added ingredients are fats, refined flours, sodium and/or excess sugar” . These categories include salty snacks, pastries, cookies, sweets, chocolates, boxed cereals and soft drinks, among others. The exclusion, indicates the Annex, is based on the Healthy and Sustainable Dietary Guides for the Mexican Population. “Current scientific evidence indicates that a diet with excessive consumption of energy-dense foods, with excess added sugars, excess calories, excess saturated fats and partially hydrogenated oils, with excess trans fats and high excess sodium, increases the risk of overweight, obesity and the development of chronic non-communicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases,” he details. The guidelines seek to regulate, first of all, school consumption establishments, including cooperatives, canteens and vending machines. They propose, however, surveillance of establishments in the vicinity of the campuses. They emphasize that it is up to the educational authorities to establish coordination mechanisms with the municipal authorities “to generate actions aimed at encouraging, encouraging and promoting the sale of healthy foods and beverages in the vicinity of schools, in terms of the applicable regulations.” “Cofepris, within the scope of its jurisdiction, will carry out verifications and will promote that the competent local authorities carry out verifications of the establishments that provide food or beverage services, to guarantee compliance with the applicable legislation and these Guidelines and their Sole Annex” , they point out. “The school authority that promotes, encourages or allows the preparation, distribution, sale or dissemination of advertising of foods and beverages not permitted for schools in violation of the provisions of the Sole Annex of these Guidelines, the Dietary Guides and other applicable regulations. , will incur the infractions provided for in article 170, sections VIII and IX of the LGE,” they warn. For these infractions, fines of up to one thousand times the Measurement and Update Unit (whose value for 2024 is 108.57 pesos) and the evocation of the authorization or withdrawal of the recognition of official validity of studies for particular schools are foreseen.
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