Consejo de salud escolar y su política sobre los edulcorantes no calóricos

Murray R, Bhatia JJS, Okamoto J, Allison M, Ancona R, Attisha E, et al.

La intención de la presente declaración es actualizar y destacar nuevas oportunidades para mejorar la calidad de la dieta en las escuelas. 

Principales conclusiones:

• Los edulcorantes no calóricos (ENC) han sido evaluados y considerados como seguros en niños por agencias y comités reguladores internacionales, entre éstos, la Administración de Alimentos y Medicamentos de los Estados Unidos (FDA).
• Podrían lograrse mejoras adicionales en la densidad de nutrimentos de los productos con sabor dulce si los ENC se emplearan como herramienta para reemplazar los azúcares añadidos y ayudar a reducir la ingesta calórica. 

ABSTRACT

“Concern over childhood obesity has generated a decade-long reformation of school nutrition policies. Food is available in school in 3 venues: federally sponsored school meal programs; items sold in competition to school meals, such as a la carte, vending machines, and school stores; and foods available in myriad informal settings, including packed meals and snacks, bake sales, fundraisers, sports booster sales, in-class parties, or other school celebrations. High-energy, low-nutrient beverages, in particular, contribute substantial calories, but little nutrient content, to a student’s diet. In 2004, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that sweetened drinks be replaced in school by water, white and flavored milks, or 100% fruit and vegetable beverages. Since then, school nutrition has undergone a significant transformation. Federal, state, and local regulations and policies, along with alternative products developed by industry, have helped decrease the availability of nutrient-poor foods and beverages in school. However, regular access to foods of high energy and low quality remains a school issue, much of it attributable to students, parents, and staff. Pediatricians, aligning with experts on child nutrition, are in a position to offer a perspective promoting nutrient-rich foods within calorie guidelines to improve those foods brought into or sold in schools. A positive emphasis on nutritional value, variety, appropriate portion, and encouragement for a steady improvement in quality will be a more effective approach for improving nutrition and health than simply advocating for the elimination of added sugars”.

Para revisar el artículo completo accede a:

https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/135/3/575/75524/Snacks-Sweetened-Beverages-Added-Sugars-and

Referencia

1. Murray R, Bhatia JJS, Okamoto J, Allison M, Ancona R, Attisha E, et al. Snacks, Sweetened Beverages, Added Sugars, and Schools. Pediatrics [Internet]. 2015 Mar 1 [cited 2022 Feb 17];135(3):575–83. Available from: https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/135/3/575/75524/Snacks-Sweetened-Beverages-Added-Sugars-and