Schoolchildren in Poland will be offered healthier alternatives at break times from next year after ministers voted in favor of banning junk food in all schools across the country.

Polish Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz

From next September pupils will not be given the choice of high-fat and processed fast food such as hamburgers, potato chips, candy and sugary drinks at school canteens, and all junk food will be banned from in-school tuck shops.

It is all part of a Polish government drive to raise awareness about healthy eating choices and reduce obesity and pre-obesity in children and teenagers.

Alongside the ban will be a total blackout of any such related advertising within Polish schools from kindergarten to secondary schools, and further educational colleges and care centers attended by children. The advertising ban also relates to locations close to any educational campus.

For anyone in breach of the ban, the government has set out punitive plans as a deterrent, including fines of up to PLN5,000 (US$1,500). Contracts with catering companies and suppliers who fail to comply with the new regulations will also be terminated.

MPs voted to amend the law on food safety and nutrition with a majority vote in favor during a parliamentary session last week.

Polish Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz, who is also the country’s former health minister, backs the change in law.

"School teaches, but also shapes habits. The health and safety of our children is an investment in the future of the nation," she said in a release.

In addition, from the beginning of the school term 2015, only pre-approved foodstuffs will be served to students, with schools and other educational institutions having to get clearance from a detailed list beforehand.

Photo: Platforma Obywatelska RP, via Wikimedia Commons

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