Existing health and safety legislation regarding schools and kindergardens, introduced by the Ministry of Health, has been amended to include reference to the availability of junk food in these settings.
According to recent data, the food for sale in educational institutions has become more and more unhealthy. As a direct consequence, school children are eating foods containing too much fat, salt and sugar, which have a negative impact in their current and future health.
The newly amended legal acts introduce restrictions on the type of food for sale in these settings, by refering to their nutrient content.
Although the European Union is only now developing nutrient profiles, which will be an objective way of establishing a difference between healthy and unhealthy foods for different purposes, several EU member states have already done so.
The new legislation in Latvia bans the sale of food products that contain 1,25 g/0,5g or more of salt/sodium to every 100 g of food product. That includes potatoes and corn chips, salty nuts and salty snacks.
This legislation also reminds the schools to promote the consumption of dairy products.
According to a poll conducted by the Ministry of Health in July 2006, the population supports these new measures.
More information is available in Latvian at the home page of the Health Ministry of Latvia
Latvia imposes first junk food ban
The Latvian Ministry of Health have decided to completely ban the sale of junk foods in schools and nurseries.
The measures, which were introduced on 1 November 2006, prohibit the sale of any drink or food stuff which is high in artificial colours and preservatives in schools and nurseries. Junk food will be replaced by healthier alternatives, including milk, fruit and nuts in a bid to encourage children to lead healthier lifestyles.
The Latvian Health Ministers were encouraged to impose the ban following warnings from Nutritionists about the risk of current dieting trends on children’s health.
With French education authorities removing vending machines from schools and the UK government considering a ban on junk food advertising and looking to gradually remove higher salt foods and carbonated drinks from schools, it would appear that EU countries are very much in favour of promoting healthy eating amongst young people.
The measures will hopefully increase the pressure on manufacturers of soft drinks and snack foods to restrict the availability of their products amongst young children.
