Healthy Food in the School Canteen

Marcelo Gioscia Civitate | Montevideo
@| If we take into account that in our country two out of three people are overweight or have some type of obesity and that more than 25% of deaths in Uruguay are due to cardiovascular diseases, the attention paid by public authorities to promoting the consumption of healthy foods is not only justified, but even commendable.

We believe that measures have finally been taken in this regard and deserve applause; their purpose is to protect the health of consumers. This is especially true of food sold in educational centers (whether schools or high schools) and canteens in public facilities.

Therefore, in the light of the information that has been made public, it is impossible to understand the apparent threat of trial or litigation against the public education authorities by the Uruguayan Chamber of Canteens in the Educational Space, which protects the interests of canteen service franchisees.

These possible demands – especially because of the information we have – are clearly responses to a clear interest in individual benefit, which is of course far from the general interest.

If so, they will have to be dismissed by the courts and tribunals of the place of enactment; otherwise, it will be necessary to take into account the particularities of each claim, which is of course based on non-compliance with the previously established joint contractual relationship, which may ultimately lead to corresponding financial compensation.

The fact is that from January this year, education centers are not allowed to sell foods that are not recommended by the Ministry of Health.

This meant that their sales fell and the franchisees asked for a reduction in the rental costs of the space they used, but this was rejected on the grounds that they did not charge for public services such as running water and electricity. According to the potential claimant, the dropouts that affect the population of the research center and the likelihood of consuming their products within the premises must be considered, such as the days of the month they actually work.

Nevertheless, the regulations drawn up by the competent authorities will apply the Healthy Eating Act, which prohibits the sale of products labeled with “octagons” that display and warn about excess sugar, sodium, fat or saturated fat, and biscuits; that is, foods with very low nutritional value and high calories.

This public policy decision is based on the fact that more than 90% of educational center canteens were found to sell non-recommended foods, assuming an unfortunate reality that must be reversed.

Be it reducing cases of overweight and obesity or other non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular diseases that wreak havoc on our population.