The Directorate General for Health (DGS) wants, by 2027, to reduce salt by 10% and sugar by 20% in foods. These are two of the goals of the new National Program for the Promotion of Healthy Eating (2022-2030).

The document maintains as priorities the fight against obesity and the promotion of a healthy diet. Projections for 2030 even suggest that dietary errors and being overweight may overtake tobacco in the ranking of risk factors that most contribute to mortality.

According to a statement released by the DGS, the National Program for the Promotion of Healthy Eating aims to prevent and control all forms of malnutrition. Among them, inadequate diet, malnutrition, inadequate intake of vitamins and minerals, pre-obesity and obesity.

“After 10 years of strong investment in the two central pillars of the national food and nutrition strategy, which were the improvement of the food environment (for example, with agreements with the industry to reformulate the food supply or the regulation of food marketing aimed at children) and citizen empowerment with education measures, the strategy presents measures more targeted at the health system itself and at the level of health care delivery”, writes the DGS in a statement.

The plan to promote healthy eating 2022-2030 also outlines goals to be achieved in the medium and long term. By 2030, the aim is to “increase the percentage of consumption of at least 400 grams of fruit and vegetables in adults, children and adolescents” and reduce the consumption of soft drinks and other sugary drinks.

The document also sets goals to increase the rate of exclusive breastfeeding up to six months and reduce, by 2030, the prevalence of overweight and obesity by at least 5% in children and adolescents.