Law on the Promotion of Healthy Eating and the Exclusion of Ultra-Processed and Sugary Foods from Public and Private Schools in the State of Ceará (No. 19.455 of 2025)

Summary:

This law aims to promote adequate and healthy food in schools in the state of Ceará, Brazil.

Description:

General overview

To promote healthy food in schools (public and private ones) in the state of Ceará, the law states the following:

• It defines as principles of healthy eating in the school environment (Article 3):
  • the offer of healthy, adequate, and sustainably foods.
  • the inclusion of food and nutrition education in the school curriculum.
  • the promotion of school gardens.
• It prohibits the commercialization, distribution and marketing of ultra-processed and sweetened foods from the school environment (Article 5). Considering this prohibition, the law also extends it to street vendors operating on the sidewalks of the block where the school is located. (Article 5, paragraph 1).

The law exempts the foods children bring from home(Article 5, paragraph 3). However, schools might set rules on the food bring from home as part of nutrition education activities. (Article 5, paragraph 4).

Key highlights: how does the law promote healthy food in schools?

For this purpose, this law establishes the following (Article 2):

• Healthy eating as the one preferably fresh, organic and/or minimally processed.
• Ultra-processed and sweetened foods as it is defined in the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population.