Overview
- The government published a draft royal decree for public consultation to restrict ultra-processed foods in hospitals, care homes and a wide range of public venues including museums, libraries, universities, sports facilities and public workplace cafeterias.
- The rules also cover public or private centers serving dependent or special-needs populations, such as sociosanitary facilities, shelters for gender-violence victims and guardianship centers for minors.
- Quantitative caps set a maximum of two weekly servings of ultra-processed foods in residential or full-board settings and one per week for breakfasts or snacks.
- Children and adolescents would be barred from being offered ultra-processed foods in all covered settings.
- Vending and procurement standards require at least 80% healthy vending products, limit the visibility of the remainder, ensure free drinking-water fountains, target 90% seasonal fruit and vegetables with short-supply and organic quotas, mandate on-site meal preparation and introduce nutritional screening in hospitals and residential centers.