Mexico bans junk food in schools: Will the US follow suit?

Junk food has long been a staple in many countries, but as obesity rates skyrocket, some governments are taking a stand. Mexico is leading the charge, officially banning junk food in schools in an effort to curb childhood obesity and diabetes. The move, which took effect recently, has sparked debates worldwide, especially in the United States, where processed and ultra-processed foods dominate grocery shelves and school cafeterias.

With President Trump’s administration hinting at stricter food regulations and key officials calling for a major overhaul of the American diet, could the U.S. be next in banning junk food?

Inside Mexico’s junk food banMexico has one of the highest rates of childhood obesity in the world, with one-third of Mexican children classified as overweight or obese, according to government statistics. Processed snacks and sugary drinks account for nearly 40% of the daily calorie intake for children, making it clear that something had to change.

As of this past weekend, a new law officially bans junk food in all schools across Mexico. The country’s Education Ministry made the announcement on social media with a celebratory message: "Farewell, junk food!"

The ban eliminates popular processed snacks like sugary fruit drinks, packaged chips, artificial pork rinds, and chili-flavored soy peanuts from school premises. Instead, schools are now required to serve healthier alternatives, such as bean tacos and plain drinking water.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, a strong advocate for the initiative, emphasized the importance of dietary changes, stating: "It is much better to eat a bean taco than a bag of potato chips."

Under the new law, schools must phase out any food or drink that contains high levels of salt, sugar, calories, or fat, as indicated by Mexico’s black warning labels—a front-of-package labeling system implemented in 2020.

But enforcing this ban poses a significant challenge. There are 255,000 schools across Mexico, many of which lack water fountains, reliable internet, or even electricity. Additionally, street vendors selling snacks outside of school gates remain an issue. Even with hefty fines—ranging from $545 to $5,450 for schools violating the ban—monitoring and enforcement could be difficult.

Could the U.S. be next?Unlike Mexico, the U.S. government has historically been hesitant to regulate junk food, largely due to the immense political power of the food industry. However, under President Trump’s new administration, there are growing signs that change could be on the horizon.

Some of Trump’s key health officials have expressed interest in taking on "Big Food," the corporations behind most processed and ultra-processed foods in America. Nominees for top health agencies are pushing for reforms, arguing that ultra-processed foods—which make up about 70% of the U.S. food supply—are fueling the country’s obesity epidemic, diabetes crisis, and other chronic health issues.

One of the biggest voices in this movement? Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s newly confirmed Health and Human Services Secretary.

Push to ‘Make America Healthy Again’(MAHA)Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has long been outspoken about the dangers of processed foods. He has frequently criticized school lunches and government food assistance programs, saying they encourage poor nutrition.

During an interview with Fox News in February, Kennedy made his stance clear: “The one place that I would say that we need to really change policy is the SNAP(Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) program and food stamps and in school lunches. There, the federal government in many cases is paying for it. And we shouldn’t be subsidizing people to eat poison.”

In February 2025, newly appointed Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins also signaled support for removing junk food from SNAP—a move that could significantly impact the $113 billion program, which serves 42 million Americans.

State-level action: War on food additivesEven before Trump’s administration took office, some U.S. states had already started cracking down on junk food ingredients.

-West Virginia passed one of the strongest bans on food dyes, targeting yellow, blue, green, and red color additives that have been linked to health concerns, especially in children. The ban received bipartisan support and is expected to be signed into law soon.

- At least a dozen states, including Oklahoma and New York, are currently working on laws to ban certain food dyes and chemical additives from processed foods.

Even the FDA has started taking action. In January 2025, the agency finally banned Red 3 Dye, an artificial coloring linked to cancer in rodents. However, the FDA admitted it only took action because of legal pressure, not because it necessarily believes the dye is harmful.