Mexico Launches Tool to Monitor Junk Food Ban in Schools

Civil society organizations have introduced a new digital platform to support healthier school environments by enabling communities to report violations of the national ban on junk food in schools.

One month after the implementation of new school food regulations banning the sale of ultra-processed products, El Poder del Consumidor and the Network for Children's Rights in Mexico (REDIM) launched a digital platform called Mi Escuela Saludable (My healthy school). The tool is designed to help monitor adherence to the rules prohibiting junk food in Mexican schools.

Liliana Bahena, Campaign Coordinator, Mi Escuela Saludable, explains that through the platform, parents, school administrators, teachers, and students can report whether soft drinks, sugary beverages, and ultra-processed products are still being sold at schools. Users can also verify whether healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, seeds, and whole grains are available, whether schools provide access to drinking water, and whether oversight committees are in place.

Bahena says that experiences in Latin American countries such as Brazil and Chile have shown that promoting healthy eating in schools creates a virtuous cycle: it improves learning and lays the foundation for healthier adulthood. One of the key benefits is the promotion of food literacy and an appreciation for balanced diets — habits that can endure over a lifetime and be passed on to families. Additionally, such efforts help prevent disease and improve academic performance. “Studies in Uruguay and Australia have shown that incorporating nutritious foods into schools enhances cognition and academic performance in key subjects such as reading, math, writing, and spelling throughout students’ educational cycles,” Bahena says.

Eating well also supports emotional and social well-being, explains Bahena. In countries like China, Japan, and Brazil, positive outcomes have been observed in students’ social skills, autonomy, and learning development, she adds. She also notes that when school nutrition efforts include elements of local or family farming, they can strengthen local economies and help reduce inequality.

Julieta Ponce, Director, Center for Food Guidance (COA Nutrición), says that removing ultra-processed foods from schools in Mexico is a necessary step to guarantee children's right to healthy nutrition and to protect students from potential harm. “Changing the school food environment is the first step in building healthy habits, with the opportunity to recover real flavors and health without damaging the environment. What children eat at school becomes part of their food identity and is never forgotten,” says Ponce.

According to the Alliance for Healthy Eating one in four children in Mexico already lives with overweight or obesity. On average, students consume more than 500 calories of junk food during a school day, contributing to an annual weight gain of up to 7kg. Without timely action, projections suggest that by 2030, 7 million children in Mexico could be living with overweight or obesity. Moreover, by 2035, one in two could develop diabetes in early adulthood.

At the start of the year, the federal government launched the Live Healthy, Live Happy strategy in elementary schools across the country to promote children's health. The initiative includes a national health census and formally bans the sale of junk food in schools. This policy followed guidelines issued in late 2024 by the Ministries of Education and Health regulating the preparation, distribution, and sale of processed foods and beverages in educational institutions. The regulations officially came into force on March 29, 2025.