The Ministry of Consumer Affairs wants to curb the presence of ultra-processed foods and fried foods in public centers, such as hospitals, town halls and universities. According to the text of the Royal Decree announced last July by Minister Pablo Bustinduy during the NAOS Strategic Awards ceremony, ultra-processed foods and solo fried foods can be served several times a week in centers with full board and residential facilities. In case of disappointments and blessings, the limit will be once a week. Children’s menus, however, must be completely eliminated.
Access to drinking water will be another pillar of regulation. All included centers must install free drinking water points, correctly marked and accessible to users. The standard also concerns vending machines. At least 80% of products available in machines sale It must be healthy, and ultra-transformed cannot be found in central queues or with greater visibility. The text similarly establishes the obligation to meet the individual needs of users for health, ethical or religious reasons.
The scope of the standard is broad. This ranges from museums, libraries, universities and sports centers to hospitals and residences, including public and private centers which welcome dependent people or people with special needs, such as mayors’ residences or care centers for women victims of gender violence. During the announcement, Bustinduy said that “healthy eating must be a priority for public authorities, which must therefore be undertaken within their own dependencies”. According to the minister, “it is incomprehensible that the Administration allows senseless food offers to be launched in public schools, hospitals, residences or any other space.”
The ministry warns that around 80% of children regularly consume unhealthy products and denounces the high exposure to advertising for unhealthy foods: “they receive up to 11 daily advertising impacts from this type of product”, according to the ministry. To address this problem, the Bundistuy announced that the ministry’s next step would be to regulate senseless food advertising aimed at children and adolescents.
The measure is not isolated. It is in line with the Royal Decree for healthy and sustainable school nutrition, approved in April 2025, which guarantees five healthy foods per week in schools and encourages the daily consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, in accordance with the recommendations of the World Health Organization.
To guarantee the application of the standard, the royal decree will establish minimum criteria for nutritional quality and sustainability in all public centers. It will be encouraged that food is prepared in their own kitchens and is based on fresh food. At least 90% of fruits and vegetables must be seasonal and 10% must come from short circuits and ecological production. In educational centers, the objective will be that 100% of foods are healthy.
Furthermore, Consumo announced that nutritional tests will be carried out in hospitals and residential centers to prevent and early detect situations of malnutrition or nutritional risk. Based on these analyses, personalized nutritional care plans will be implemented, users will be informed of the results and measures adopted and will facilitate high-level indications.
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