Spain’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs is officially banning sugary drinks and ultra-processed foods in schools, in an effort to offer more balanced and varied menus. This initiative acts as a complement to recently announced restrictions on fried and pre-cooked food for children aged 0 to 3 in schools, as well as a move to ban commercially baked goods and sugary drinks from school vending machines, as well as a move to guarantee five healthy meals a week. The menus offered by school cafeterias will now
offer fresh fruit, whole grains, dairy products without added sugar, extra virgin olive oil, and protein, including plant-based protein. The criteria: Breakfast and afternoon snacks to meet strict guidelines According to the Consumer Affairs Office, a complete breakfast for the students must include at least three food groups: fresh fruit (preferably in season and whole, not sliced or diced); whole grains (including wholemeal bread, oat flakes, or similar options); dairy products (without added sugars and with low salt content); healthy fats (including extra virgin olive
oil and avocados); healthy beverages including water, milk, infusions, fruit juices or plant-based drinks without added sugars; and protein-based foods, including plant proteins. For afternoon snacks, fresh fruit will be a main focus, but schools will also offer small sandwiches made with whole-wheat bread, milk, and dairy products without added sugars and with a low sodium content. Ultra-processed purge: The banned foods no longer to be served in school cafeterias Foods must also meet certain nutritional criteria, or they will be outright banned from these
types of schools. To be specific, the excluded options are ultra-processed foods known for their unhealthiness, including: Salty snacks Ready-made meals Sugary or sweetened beverages Additionally, for both breakfast and afternoon snacks, foods and drinks high in saturated fats, trans fats, salt, and sugars will be strictly avoided. Sustainable utensils and tableware also to be implemented The measure will not only impact the types of foods the students eat at schools; it will also affect the utensils schools provide to eat the meal with. More
sustainable materials will be encouraged for packaging and tableware, in order to reduce polluting waste both during food preparation and during packaging and serving. The catch…and how non-students may be affected However, this measure will only be implemented in schools that provide the students with breakfast and an afternoon snack, meaning the impact of this particular measure will be less widespread than the other initiatives taken by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs between this year and last. These regulations are also expected to be implemented
in a future decree in hospitals, care homes, residences, and other types of centres, both public and private, for seniors, dependent people, and those with special needs.
Spain, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, schools, sugary drinks ban, ultra-processed foods, school cafeterias, breakfast guidelines, afternoon snacks, vending machines, healthy meals, sustainable tableware, hospitals, care homes