Mexico City. Given the official publication of the guidelines for the preparation, distribution and sale of food and beverages in the country’s schools, the organization Alliance for Food Health welcomed this measure, as it represents an “achievement in favor of the well-being of girls, boys and adolescents “.
Through a statement, the organization pointed out that one in four infants lives with obesity and overweight, mainly due to poor diet. According to the Alliance, “the overweight epidemic can represent a cost of 650 billion pesos annually that must be covered by the State.”
Furthermore, in basic education schools, he said, students can consume a daily average of more than 500 kilocalories through unhealthy foods and drinks.
Among the points of the guidelines that the organization highlighted is promoting access to fruits, vegetables, seeds, whole grains and plain water. He said that only one in four infants consume the required amount per day.
Also, he pointed out the importance of prohibiting the sale and advertising of unhealthy foods and beverages prepackaged with warning seals and the sale of bulk products with high contents of sugar, fat, sodium and refined flours. According to the Alliance, these products represent 98 percent of the school food supply.
Another point is to promote the recovery of culinary traditions, with natural, regional and seasonal ingredients, and made with low fat, salt and sugar content.
He highlighted that the guidelines include the responsibility that educational authorities have in the implementation, surveillance, sanction and monitoring, since in previous publications on the subject, school personnel, he said, argued that they were unaware of their application.
At the beginning of this week, on the last day of his government, the administration of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, through the Ministry of Public Education, published these guidelines in the Official Gazette of the Federation.
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– 2024-10-04 18:39:30
