Switch to new school healthy eating program provider triggers concerns banned junk food will reappear

Alterations to the way WA schools market healthier feeding on for children have prompted worries that junk foodstuff these kinds of as chips, tender drinks and lollies could creep again on to school canteen menus.

The Health Division lately awarded a $3.7 million agreement to Victorian-based mostly organisation Nourishment Australia to deliver a “whole of university balanced ingesting program” — snubbing the WA College Canteen Affiliation, which has delivered the State Government’s healthful foodstuff and consume policy in faculties for the past 15 years.

Whilst the new application is predicted to continue on a traffic mild method categorising food stuff decisions as eco-friendly for nutritious, amber for occasional, or crimson for junk, there are fears the new service provider will modify WA’s standards.

“At a college amount, that may suggest the overall health of our youngsters is influenced simply because we could have some unhealthy objects coming into colleges which have now not been there,” WASCA chief executive Megan Sauzier claimed.

“The traffic gentle program is a little bit diverse in Victoria. Pink foodstuff, for instance, which are comfortable beverages, lollies and chips, are off the menu in WA and have been off the menu from 2007, whereas in Victoria you’re permitted to have crimson meals two times a time period.”

Nutrition Australia is yet to release total aspects of its tactic, but insists there would be no rapid changes to WA’s traffic light-weight requirements.