Move to junk unhealthy food delights parents

Parents have welcomed the news that junk food will be taken off the menus of school canteens when new classes start in September.

The unhealthy foods being taken off the menus include chips, crisps, ice cream, chocolates, nuts, candies, fizzy drinks and hotdogs.

This is according to the latest version of the school canteen guidelines jointly reviewed by the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA), the Health Authority-Abu Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi Education Council. ADFCA will enforce the regulation.

This is part of the continuous efforts to improve children’s health by adopting healthy eating habits at school, in addition to physical activities.

Under the new rules, junk foods, soft drinks, foods high in fat and sugar and processed meats such as sausages, hotdogs, shawarma, nuggets and burgers will not be allowed to be served at school cafeterias.

“I don’t allow my daughter to eat junk food at home, but she buys it from her school canteen. Now she wouldn’t be able to eat all that unhealthy food,” said Richa Kapoor whose daughter studies in Grade 6.

Alima Hassan, the mother of an eight-year-old boy, hoped authorities enforce the rules strictly. She said full compliance is required not only from the school canteen, but also from the suppliers and workers at both places.

The Ministry of Health’s latest figures showed that 20 per cent of schoolchildren between eight and 12 years are overweight due to poor food choices offered in school canteens. The ministry’s studies showed that 60 per cent of students aged five to 14 years consumed chips and chocolates daily compared to 28 and 23.2 per cent daily consumption of vegetables and fruits.

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