Too fast

CONCESSIONAIRES SAY INTRODUCTION OF NEW FOOD RESTRICTIONS IN SCHOOLS RUSHED

By Sheria Brathwaite

Some canteen concessionaires are not pleased about the way in which the National School Nutrition Policy was implemented. They say it was “rushed” when it should have really been “phased in”.
They have also accepted that it will be a major challenge to comply with the new set of guidelines.
Speaking under the condition of anonymity, some of them told Barbados TODAY that the rollout of the policy will dip into their profits as students may opt not to make selections from the canteen’s menu.
The concessionaires also spoke of a difficulty sourcing approved beverages and snacks as the policy created a demand they believe some distributors were not yet prepared to meet.
However, despite the negatives, they said they were not opposed to the initiative since in the long term it would benefit Barbados.
The policy was introduced by the Ministry of Education in an effort to address the unhealthy lifestyles of school children, many of whom have been found to be overweight.
One operator who has been in the sector for well over 30 years said: “It can work but I think it was too rushed. We should have phased the children in. It calls for us to sit down with the stakeholders who will supply us with the alternatives. There are things that you can have without sugar but you have to source them from the outside because there is not enough supply here.
“We are also supposed to have cassava chips, plantain chips and digestive biscuits but when I went to the distributor they didn’t have any. I guess they weren’t looking for this demand. So it puts a strain on us to get these things. I think the September term would have been better as by then everybody would have had time to go through the policy and the different suppliers would know how to bring in stuff based on the demand.”
She added that there was some confusion in the early stages of the policy’s implementation. Canteen concessionaires were given a list, she explained, and she bought stock to suit that list but found out days later that it had been adjusted.
“When we got the first approved list we were told how many grammes of sugar and sodium the drinks should contain. Now they are saying no sugar at all. So I bought stock with X amount of sugar and I have to get things sell off.”
The cook, whose menu includes coucou, grilled fish, stewed food and baked chicken, suggested that the Ministry of Education should upgrade canteen equipment to allow operators to serve baked french fries on a large scale.
Another operator said that it would take time to adjust the palates of children and he agreed that the policy should have been implemented in phases.
“It is a good concept but we have gone from one extreme to the next. We have done this too fast. If you take away drugs from a junkie all at once he will die, so things should be done in a process. This will reduce sales. For the first week it will be a struggle and we have overheads to cover. At the end of the day we want to help children eat healthy but this is a business first and we have to feed our families too,” he said.
The entrepreneur who has been in the industry for five years said that what will encourage the students to adapt better is the preparation of the food. He said herbs and spices give food lots of flavour and make vegetables tasty.
He said, for example, his macaroni pie, made with pasta, fresh herbs, garlic and spices, was prepared using a special cream sauce, with no cheese and it was a hit with staff and students.
He added that he tried to make his menu interesting and offered rice, steamed vegetables, vegetable alfredo, grilled fish, baked chicken and roasted potatoes.
A concessionaire who plies his trade at a northern school, said vegetables were a big part of his menu before the policy was implemented so offering healthier alternatives was not new in his business.
However, like his colleagues in the industry, he wanted a phased approach.
“I applaud what the ministry is doing but they should not pull everything right so from under you. They should have said this term we will be doing away with soft drinks and trying a different drink. Then as that works, we could have pulled out the snacks and gone down the road that way. The children are accustomed to a variety of options and with that mindset they will still go and buy what they want from the nearby shop, who won’t be held accountable, like us. So this week I know I will operate at a loss but I know with time the policy will work for all of us,” he said.
Meanwhile, another operator at a St Michael school said she was pleased about how business went for her on Tuesday. She said all the bottled water she had sold out.
“I sell so much water it surprised me. I sell more than 15 cases of water throughout the course of the day and a case has 40 bottles. Once they (students) came in the school gate they couldn’t leave so they had to buy what was there. Plus, there was someone selling natural juices at school but now that this policy prohibits that, so I feel I got their customers,” she said.
sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb