UNHEALTHY food will disappear from school buffets as of January 2015, according to an amendment to the Education Act passed by parliament on October 29. The new provision was submitted by Smer MP and former deputy speaker of parliament Renáta Zmajkovičová, the SITA newswire reported.
“The aim of the proposal is to stop the current trend of the increasing obesity of Slovaks, especially schoolchildren and youths,” Zmajkovičová said, as quoted by the TASR newswire.
Though several opposition MPs praised the intention, they disliked this version of the law, TASR wrote.
The amendment prohibits the sale of additional fast food, food with a salt content exceeding 1.5 grams per 100 grams, sweet baked products and candies or sweets. The buffets will also be forbidden to sell ice cream, ice lollies or sherbets, as well as drinks containing alcohol, caffeine or quinine, energy drinks and sweetened drinks, except for tea and cacao, SITA wrote.
Violation of the law will be met with €50-€500 fines.
The Food Chamber of Slovakia (PKS) warned that Zmajkovičová’s amendment is not based on any expert opinions or expert discussion and asked the MPs not to support the proposal.
