Brazil Drafts WHO Proposal to Ban Sale of Ultra-Processed Food to Children

The Brazilian government has asked the World Health Organization to develop regulations requiring countries to restrict the sale of ultra-processed foods, especially to children.

As the World Health Organization (WHO) works to develop guidelines on ultra-processed foods (UPF), it has now received a proposal seeking to impose stricter marketing rules and even a sales ban on these products.

Brazil’s government has drafted a plan calling on the global health body to design models for regulating the sale of UPFs and monitor people’s exposure to them.

The proposal already has backing from France, Mexico and Uruguay, and will be presented by Brazilian health minister Alexandre Padilha at this week’s World Health Assembly in Geneva. The goal is to build broad support for the proposal and put it on the agenda for a vote at next year’s edition, where it would require a simple majority to pass.

It comes as policy stakeholders worldwide tighten the grip on UPFs, despite warnings from health experts against an overly broad approach to this category.

Policymakers rail against ultra-processed foods

That Brazil is advocating for UPF restrictions shouldn’t come as a surprise – after all, it is the birthplace of the Nova classification, which first defined the term in 2009.

UPFs are described as foods made with industrial formulations and techniques or containing cosmetic additives thought to be of little culinary use. Put simply, they’re thought of as foods you can’t make in your home kitchen.

While studies have linked these to a multitude of health ailments (and even premature death), there’s no standard definition of these products, and the Nova classification has been criticised by many as too simplistic.

Health experts have argued that processing levels shouldn’t be conflated with nutritional value, since many UPFs can actually be good for you, such as plant-based milk and meat, whole-grain breads, and even lightly sweetened high-fibre cereals.

That hasn’t stopped legislators from proposing restrictions on UPFs. In the US, for instance, states like California, Arizona and Louisiana have banned their use in schools, and the federal government has promised to act on a citizen petition calling for the revocation of the food safety status of certain UPFs.

In fact, the Food and Drug Administration is working on a definition of UPFs to encourage companies to label their offerings as ‘non-ultra-processed’ the same way products are marketed as sugar- or fat-free. And the House of Representatives is considering a bipartisan childhood diabetes bill that would define UPFs, prohibit their advertising to children, and require them to carry on-pack warning labels.

The WHO itself has assembled a group of experts to develop a guideline for UPFs, arguing that their consumption “has been associated with a myriad of negative health effects”.

However, the composition of the panel reviewing the evidence has been questioned, with critics noting that it excludes food scientists due to the WHO’s conflict-of-interest rules. Further, there are complaints about the organisation’s decision not to publish comments from the public on the topic, accusing it of bias and a lack of transparency.

Brazil asks WHO to prevent UPF marketing to children

Brazil’s WHO resolution urges countries to “develop, strengthen, and implement comprehensive regulatory frameworks to restrict the marketing of ultra-processed foods, with particular emphasis on the protection of children and adolescents”.

It is asking governments to adopt evidence-based definitions and classification systems for UPFs and to curb, or even prohibit, the advertising of UPFs in places frequented by children, such as schools, health facilities, and sporting and cultural events.

This would include addressing all forms of media, including digital marketing practices such as targeted or influencer advertising, data-driven personalisation, and cross-border content, to prevent kids and teenagers from being exposed to UPF promotions.

The document pointed to aggressive marketing strategies adopted by UPF manufacturers to increase appeal among young consumers, such as health and nutrition claims, vibrant colours, characters appealing to children, jingles, celebrities, promotions, and collectables.

Food companies have been heavily criticised for marketing UPFs and junk food to children – in the US, some of the largest manufacturers faced a lawsuit alleging that they used tobacco industry tactics to upsell UPFs to kids, though it was later dismissed.

Brazil has already set a limit on the use of processed and ultra-processed products in school meals to a maximum of 10%, but Padilha said the goal is to cut them out entirely.

“We will monitor compliance with this, and certainly, in the coming years, we have to reduce it even further, until we reach zero,” he told Estadão. “The capital cities that have eliminated the presence of ultra-processed foods in school meals are already obtaining data indicating that adolescents are consuming fewer ultra-processed foods.”

In its draft, Brazil notes that there is precedent for the WHO recommending that countries limit access to products that could harm children. In 2010, a similar measure was adopted to prevent the marketing of food and non-alcoholic beverages to children, while a 2016 resolution provided guidance on ending the “inappropriate promotion” of food for infants and young children.

It remains to be seen whether the WHO adopts Brazil’s UPF resolution. That said, the country already has support from other member states, and the global policy backlash against these products is in its favour.