New rules: Crackdown on school canteens
School canteens in Dubai have just a few days to wipe junk food off their menus as authorities ban chocolates, chips and soft drinks to curb the rising menace of obesity among children.
Dubai: Chocolates, chips, soft drinks, even milk and yoghurt with artificial flavours will soon disappear from school canteens in Dubai as new stipulations on healthy foods come into effect this academic session.
XPRESS can reveal that guidelines to this effect were finalised by the Dubai Municipality and the Dubai Health Authority recently and will be issued to the schools any day now.
"The guidelines are meant to encourage healthy eating habits among children by giving them the right options," said Shaima Mohammad Al Tenaiji, Senior Food Studies and Surveys Officer, Food Control Department, Dubai Municipality.
School surveillance
The move follows a surveillance of schools and catering establishments by the authorities amid growing concerns over obesity and lifestyle-related diseases among children, she said.
Outlining the new rules, Wael Ahmad Bani Odeh, Enlightenment and Education Officer, Dubai Municipality, said all canteens - and lunch boxes - will now be required to ensure a balanced diet that contains all necessary nutrients. Accordingly, they will have to cover five food types comprising cereals, dairy products and fats, vegetables, fruits, meat and poultry products.
The stipulations are in keeping with the Food Pyramid 2010 and consist of a colour gradient system of different food groups where specific quantities are recommended for specific age groups across kindergarten, elementary, intermediate and secondary levels, he said.
For example, the requirements under orange gradient foods covering grains like bread, cereals, rice and pasta range from six to 11 portions (one portion = 30gm or half a cup) while red colour groups comprising fruits range from two to four portions of fruit, juice, whether fresh, frozen, canned or dried, he explained.
The guidelines are very specific on the content of the permitted foods, he said. For example, juices served must have a natural nectar content between 30-50 per cent, just as breads offered should preferably be made from wheat or whole grain, with the proportion of added sugar in starch foods not exceeding, 6gm/100gm.
At least three types of fresh seasonal fruits should be provided every day. Meats should be lean and skinless, while dairy and fat products should be low fat. Only pasteurised and UHT milk prepared from fresh milk (or processed) will be allowed, he noted.
What's in, what's out
Permitted foods
* Carbohydrates : Wholegrains such as wheat, corn, barley, bulgur wheat
* Vegetables: Dark green vegetables like spinach, radish, watercress, celery, parsley and others
* Fruits: Variety of seasonal fruits
* Dairy and fat products: Low-fat or fat-free varieties, milk and yoghurt with natural fruit
* Meats, poultry and fish: Meat, poultry, fish, after removing the fat and skin. Lentils and beans can be added as an alternative to meat in soup
Banned foods
* Soft drinks.
* Energy drinks
* Milk and yogurt with artificial flavours
* Chewing gum
* Lollipops
* Candies with dyes and sugar
* Pure chocolate
* Pofak
* Chips
* Foodstuffs containing monosodium glutamate
* High-fat foods such as burgers and other fried foods
