Malaysia bans junk food in schools

GD&TĐ - Malaysia has officially banned the sale of junk food and ultra-processed food in school canteens, aiming to prevent the rising trend of obesity and encourage students to maintain healthy eating habits.

The ban comes as the rate of overweight and obese children in Malaysia has doubled in the past 26 years. UNICEF has also warned that overweight and obesity among Malaysian children has now surpassed underweight, marking a turning point in public health .

Malaysia’s Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health said the ban covers 12 food groups, ranging from fast food such as fries, hamburgers, sausages, chicken nuggets to sweets, chocolate, instant noodles and carbonated drinks. Tea and coffee are also on the list of banned foods for students.

According to the Consumers Association of Penang, expired products or food in toy form, which were previously banned, are now being expanded to include more processed foods. Energy drinks, herbal flavourings and juices with less than 35% fruit content are also not allowed in schools.

Previously, Mexico, Jamaica, Spain, Ukraine and Wales have all implemented policies to ban or limit junk food in schools, combined with nutrition education and promotion of healthy foods.

According to Nutrition Insight

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