What a week just past on the US School Lunch Scene! First, Lunchables were pulled from the National School Lunch Program. Then, artificial dyes were banned on California school cafeteria menus…
California lawmakers banned a whole rainbow of artificial food colours from that state’s cafeteria menus…
The ban has been brewing for some time. Indeed, there have been debates at all levels for years about the health risks of many artificial food colourings. But California has become the first juris-diction to ban a whole colour palette!
‘Reds’ not in doubt
A select group of popular red food dyes has been banned at the national level in many countries for some time already. By early in the 20-teens, they had been shown to cause certain cancers.
But the controversy over other non-natural food colourings has continued to rage. Until now. A laundry list of blues, greens, yellows has been added to the banned list in Cali. It’s not uncommon for food processors to mix these colours to make other, intermediate hues. The whole rainbow…
The problem is, there’s extensive, trusted scientific evidence that artificial dyes – many of which are petrochemical products – can cause hyperactivity and behavioral conditions such as attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Such disruptive disorders can seriously affect both the learning and in-school socialization experience of all students a classroom.
Too valuable to lose?
Naturally, food packagers and processors have fought long and hard to keep convenient, relatively inexpensive, consistent, reliable, bold, bright artificial colourings legal. They appeal to all ages, but especially kids. And they’re found in a wide array of foods which – until now – have been popular at school lunch counters.
One news post about the new California ban says such national brands as Froot Loops, Trix Cereal, Gatorade, Skittles, and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos will be among the first to go.
Kids will be kids…
At the same time, some parents’ and healthy-eating advocacy’ groups are pooh-poohing claims from junk food supporters that kids won’t eat enough for breakfast or lunch if the newly-banned foods are not available. The junk apologists say the California ban will, effectively, leave only carefully-planned meals prepared on site in the school cafeterias, fresh fruits and veggies on the menu.
They maintain many kids won’t eat those, opting instead to ‘jump ship’ and dine at local fast food joints. Or bring in less-healthy foods from home. Which may be worse for them, on balance, than consuming the dyes.
My take
But the recent findings condemning processed foods with added sugar, salt and fat have yet to trickle down to the ‘front line action’ level. Even though the Dietary Guidelines for Americans already state 70 to 80 percent of US school children consume too much added sugar. And a full 90 percent of kids consume more sodium than recommended, according to a similar USDA study.
How long will it take for sugar, salt and fat reduction measures to be applied to school lunch menus? The good news is, one national agency in the US has already been challenged to move decisively on the issue of junk food in the schools…
~ Maggie J.