South Australian Government's sprinkles ban sparks outrage
New guidelines for school canteens in South Australia have sparked outrage for "taking all the enjoyment away from children".
Sprinkles of any kind, including 100s and 1000s - which are an essential ingredient for the iconic fairy bread - have been categorised as “red 2", meaning that they “should not be promoted or encouraged in schools on any occasion”.
The ban comes after processed meats including ham would be limited at canteens in Western Australia, with similar restrictions now in place for South Australian canteens.
Processed meats fall into the “red 1” or “amber” categories in South Australia, which means that products featuring them would be limited depending on nutritional criteria.
These restrictions mean that children will no longer be able to regularly enjoy Australian staples like ham and cheese toasties and fairy bread at school.
“Why are they taking all the enjoyment away from children?” one person told 7News.
Dieticians have also questioned the decision, saying that it might only cause further problems in the future.
“All your brain wants to do is eat that food, and eventually, you can restrict it for a little bit, until you get to that point where you just give in, you want to eat it, and then you binge,” dietitian Mattea Palombo said.
Another expert suggested changing the foods we associate with good times.
“Celebration foods aren’t so much about the foods that we have at the time of the celebration, but the friends and family we have around at the time of celebrating,” dietitian Dr Evangeline Mantzioris said.
“So I think we probably need to balance it out a bit, so healthy foods are available at those celebrations.”
Although the changes impact canteens, parents are still free to pack whatever they want in their kids' lunchboxes.
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