Shawarma, chips and sweet carbonated drinks are being targeted for removal from schools: the Rada is preparing new rules

Two related bills have been registered in the Verkhovna Rada proposing the creation of a so‑called “safe food perimeter” around educational institutions. Within a 400 meters radius it is planned to restrict the sale of products with excessive contents of sugar, salt, saturated fats and industrial trans fats.

These are bills №15428 and №15429. They concern areas near kindergartens, schools, out‑of‑school and vocational education institutions. If adopted, the restrictions could affect chips, sweet carbonated and energy drinks, certain types of fast food, shawarma, sweets and other products whose composition exceeds the established norms. At present this is only a legislative proposal that has not yet become a binding ban.

Bill №15428 foresees amendments to the Fundamentals of Ukraine’s Legislation on Health Protection. The document proposes to define specific limit values for sugar, salt, saturated and trans fats in products calculated per 100 grams or 100 milliliters.

In particular, products with an unbalanced composition would include solid products containing more than 12.5 grams of sugar per 100 grams, and beverages with a level exceeding 6.3 grams of sugar per 100 milliliters. This may concern a significant portion of sweet carbonated drinks, energy drinks, chocolate bars and other sweets.

The 400‑meter distance is proposed to be measured in a straight line from the official boundary of the educational institution’s land plot to the nearest point of a shop, kiosk, MAF or catering establishment. Thus, the restriction could apply not only to new retail points but also to existing businesses located near schools.

For unpackaged food, including shawarma, baked goods or dishes from fast‑food outlets, compliance with the established norms is proposed to be determined by the manufacturer’s production recipes or by laboratory test results.

The second bill, №15429, provides for administrative liability for violations of the restrictions. For the first instance of selling prohibited products within the established zone, it is proposed to fine officials or entrepreneurs in the amount from 8,500 to 17,000 hryvnias.

For a repeated violation within a year the fine may range from 25,500 to 51,000 hryvnias. Confiscation of the batch of products and the proceeds received from their sale is also envisaged.

The author of the legislative initiative is named as Member of Parliament Heorhii Mazurashu. He explains the need for restrictions by the worsening health of children, the increase in cases of diet‑related obesity, cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes among schoolchildren.

The authors of the documents note that government standards already limit the amount of sugar, salt and fats in school canteens. However, during breaks or on the way home children can buy chips, sweet drinks, fast food and other products in shops and kiosks near schools. According to the initiators, this reduces the effectiveness of the school meal reform.

At the same time, merely mentioning shawarma, chips or fast food in publications does not mean an automatic ban on every such product. The decisive factor should be its actual composition and whether it exceeds the limit values for sugar, salt and fats set by law.

The authors explain the 400‑meter radius by international practice. Similar restrictions on opening new fast‑food outlets near schools are applied in some regions of the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is believed that a child can quickly cover such a distance during a school break.

The bills still need to go through consideration in parliamentary committees and a vote in the Verkhovna Rada. Until their final adoption, the proposed restrictions and fines do not apply.

Previously we wrote:

• Mykolaiv will allocate 60 million hryvnias from the guarantee reserve of a municipal enterprise for meals in kindergartens
• Children may be left without food: in Mykolaiv funds for kindergartens will last only until July 9
• Porridge on pause? Mykolaiv asks the state for money to feed children until the end of the year
• Lunches for all: The government promised to feed students from grades 1 to 11
• In Mykolaiv region, over 40 schools post photos of meals daily in “Khvylka”