A bill under consideration in the Senate aims to ban the sale and advertising of ultra-processed foods in school canteens, backed by 72% of the population according to Datafolha. While health experts support the measure to fight obesity and other diseases, opponents argue it is paternalistic and advocate investing in nutritional education instead. The debate was highlighted in opinion pieces published in Folha de S.Paulo in February 2026.
The bill 4501/2020, which prohibits the commercialization and advertising of ultra-processed foods in school canteens, has advanced through the Senate's Commission on Transparency, Governance, Oversight and Control and Consumer Defense, and awaits opinions from the Education (CE) and Social Affairs (CAS) Commissions. The proposal arises amid global warnings about the risks of these foods. A study published in The Lancet, titled 'Ultra-Processed Foods and Human Health,' recommends banning salgadinhos, sweets, and sweetened drinks in schools, linking them to obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, depression, cognitive decline, and premature death. In September 2025, Unicef warned that obesity surpasses malnutrition and affects 1 in 10 children and adolescents.
National data underscore the urgency. According to the National Study on Child Food and Nutrition (Enani, 2019), 93% of children aged 24 to 59 months and 80.5% of those aged 6 to 23 months consumed ultra-processed foods. The National School Health Survey (PeNSE, 2019) shows that 97.3% of adolescents reported consumption the previous day, with 32.8% in the prior week, higher in private schools. The Brazilian Schools Food Commercialization Survey (CAEB) indicates that in private schools, ultra-processed sales are 50% higher than those of in natura or minimally processed foods, with sodas, filled biscuits, industrialized snacks, and sugary drinks as top sellers. Treating obesity in children and adolescents cost the SUS R$ 1.6 billion from 2013 to 2022, estimates a Nupens/USP and Fiocruz study.
Proponents of the ban, such as pediatrician Daniel Becker and Idec coordinator Laís Amaral, argue: 'What good is discussing it in the classroom if, during recess, the threat lurks right there?'. They highlight local actions, like in Ceará and Florianópolis, where regulations reduced sales by up to 70%. Decree 11.821/2023 already sets guidelines for healthy eating in schools.
On the other hand, the executive director of the Instituto Livre Mercado, in an opposing article, criticizes the measure as a 'paternalistic mentality that confuses protection with guardianship'. He advocates nutritional education integrated into the curriculum, better school infrastructure, and incentives for healthy options, warning of impacts on low-income families who rely on these products for convenience. 'The school environment should be a laboratory for real life, not an artificial bubble,' he states. Unicef and Opas also warn about marketing that exploits children's vulnerability.
Brazil has 65 local regulations on the issue, but federal approval could standardize practices.
