• Junk food, such as packaged snacks, processed treats and sugary drinks, has been banned in Mexican schools since last March.
• The ban was introduced by the government to combat obesity and overweight, which affect one third of Mexican children.
• The government is promoting healthier alternatives such as fruit, vegetables and legumes, and encouraging families to do the same.

On 29 March, a junk food ban promoted by the government came into force in schools across Mexico to tackle one of the world's worst epidemics of obesity and diabetes. Announcing the measure, Mexico's Ministry of Education wrote on X: "Goodbye, junk food!", encouraging families to support the institutional crusade by preparing healthy meals for their children.

"One of the fundamental principles of the new Mexican school system is a healthy lifestyle," said Mario Delgado, Minister of Public Education. "This policy is very well received by parents."

What Mexico's school junk food ban entails

The health guidelines, first published last autumn, take direct aim at processed products, both savoury and sweet, such as sugary fruit drinks, packaged crisps, pork rind chips and chilli-coated soy-covered peanuts.

Under the new decree, schools must gradually eliminate any food or drink that carries even a single black warning logo indicating a high content of salt, sugar, calories or fat. Mexico introduced this mandatory front-of-pack labelling system in 2020.

The junk food ban also requires schools to serve more nutritious alternatives, such as bean tacos, and to provide drinking water from the tap. "It is far better to eat a bean taco than a bag of crisps," said Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum, who has championed the ban.

School principals who violate the ban face fines ranging from $545 to $5,450. Enforcement, however, poses a challenge in a country where previous junk food bans have struggled to take hold and where many schools lack drinking fountains, reliable internet connections and electricity. It also remains unclear how the government intends to limit the sale of junk food outside schools, where street vendors frequently sell sweets, crisps, nachos and ice cream to children.

The childhood obesity emergency in Mexico

According to Unicef, which classifies childhood obesity in Mexico as an emergency, Mexican children consume more junk food than anywhere else in Latin America. Sugary drinks and highly processed foods account for 40 per cent of the total calories children consume in a day, the agency reports. One third of Mexican children are already considered overweight or obese, according to government statistics.