Summary:
This law aims to promote adequate and healthy food in the school environment of basic education in the municipality of Ribeirão Preto, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.
Description:
General overview
To promote healthy food in public and private schools in the municipality of Ribeirão Preto, the law regulates the commercialization, distribution and marketing communication of food and beverages of basic education (Article 1).
For this purpose, this law follows the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population and the National School Meals Program [Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar (PNAE)]. (Article 2)
Key highlights: how does the law promote healthy food in schools?
The law cathegorizes the food according to NOVA classification (Article 2, paragraph):
- fresh food (in portuguese, “alimentos ‘in natura'”);
- minimally processed foods (in portuguese, “alimentos minimamente processados”);
- processed foods (in portuguese, “alimentos processados”);
- ultraprocessed foods (in portuguese, “alimentos ultraprocessados”). The definition on these products is “industrial formulations made mostly or entirely from substances extracted from foods or synthesized in laboratories, using manufacturing techniques”.
However, the mayor of Ribeirão Preto vetoed the bill as it was. In this sense, he stroke down nearly all provisions that prohibited the distribution and marketing of ultra-processed foods and beverages in schools. The veto also altered the provisions concerning the implementation of the law. As a result, only Article 6, which guarantees access to healthy foods, remained unchanged. This article provides an illustrative list of fresh or minimally processed foods.