A recommendation by the Ministry of Health to remove excess sugars from meals served in schools is due to go into effect before the end of this month.
While details on and how the changes will be introduced have not yet been revealed, Education Minister Anthony Garcia said he fully supports the measure.
He told the T&T Guardian: “We will support any measure to ensure there is a reduction in the sugar content in the food and drinks being offered to students. Government is in agreement with a lessening of the sugar intake by our students.”
The minister said the measure will be implemented in conjunction with the National Dietary Services Company (NDSC) which supplies free meals to 200,000 students in 455 primary and 125 secondary schools across the country.
Earlier this month, Garcia announced that Cabinet had accepted recommendation from the Health Ministry to reduce the sugar content in beverages served to students. He said the measure will positively impact health and life.
Pressed on whether the ministry will to restrict the sale of sugary drinks in school cafeterias, Garcia said discussions will have to be held with vendors. However, he said, many manufacturers had already started reducing the amount of sugar in their drinks.
President of the National Parents Teachers Association (NPTA) Zena Ramatali said she fully supports the measure and her group plans to lobby for a ban on the sale of soft drinks in schools. Ramatali said the NPTA is concerned about the health of the nation’s children as lifestyle diseases and obesity are on the rise.
The measure was first proposed in 2013 by then Health Minister Dr. Fuad Khan who called for a ban on sugary drinks in schools after an article wasa published in a leading UK newspaper ranking T&T as the third fattest country in the world behind Kuwait and the United States.
At the time, Khan had said that investigations had shown that sugary drinks are among the main causes of obesity in young people. He declared then that snacks and food loaded with sugar would be outlawed and also promised that operators of school cafeterias would have to sign agreements about what they sell which would have to be in accordance with the ministry’s formula to reduce sugar intake.
Studies done on the US on children and adults found that reducing sugary drink consumption can lead to better weight control among those who are initially overweight.
A 20-year study on 120,000 men and women found that people who increased their sugary drink consumption by one 12-ounce serving per day gained more weight over time—on average, an extra pound every four years—than people who did not change their intake. Other studies have found a significant link between sugary drink consumption and weight gain in children.
One study found that for each additional 12-ounce soft drink children consumed each day, the odds of becoming obese increased by 60 per cent during 1? years of follow-up.
The local initiative is along the lines of action taken in the US in 2013 when the US Agriculture Department introduced its Smart Snacks in Schools standards that include eliminating sugary drinks and candy from vending machines and a la carte menus and replacing them with healthier options. The rules expanded healthier guidelines beyond meals by setting fat, calorie, sugar and sodium limits on almost everything sold during the school day, even outside of the cafeteria.