Snacks: A real danger at school<\/p>\n
Snacking during school hours is not as harmless as many
\nparents think; research has found that many of the food products
\ncontain harmful substances. The Jakarta Post's Ida Indawati
\nKhouw examines the problem of cheap snacks which may carry a high
\nhealth cost for kids.<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The orange-colored drink looks tempting, just
\nwhat a youngster needs after a hard day in the classroom and
\nrunning around the school yard.<\/p>\n
Yet, to paraphrase the old saying, do not judge a drink by its
\ncolor. The vendor calls it \"syrup\", and it is actually a
\nconcoction of additives, sugar concentrate and a hefty dose of
\nartificial coloring.<\/p>\n
\"Of course I don't use real orange because I couldn't sell it
\nat a reasonable price of Rp 500 (about 6 US cents) per glass,\"
\nsaid Srimohari, who usually operates near schools in the Senen
\narea in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
As the nation's children get down to the business of learning,
\nthey may need to take a crash course in distinguishing between
\ngood and bad food.<\/p>\n
The snacks consumed by children almost every day may well be
\nprepared in unhygienic conditions and pose a health risk.<\/p>\n
It is not a new complaint, but no concrete action has been
\ntaken to force vendors to clean up their act. The capital was
\nshocked last year following reports of dozens of elementary
\nschool students who suffered food poisoning from the use of
\nproducts past their shelf life.<\/p>\n
People would probably not have been surprised by the report if
\nthey paid attention to how most vendors prepare the snacks and
\nthe manner in which they are served.<\/p>\n
Several vendors admitted they were forced to cut corners in
\norder to earn a profit.<\/p>\n
Srimohari, who also sells a traditional beverage using rice
\nflour droplets, said he could not use high-quality ingredients
\nbecause of their expense.<\/p>\n
He said he used Rp 6,000 as daily capital, from which he could
\nearn between Rp 15,000 and Rp 20,000.<\/p>\n
\"For instance, I don't use refined sugar because the price is
\nabout triple the sugar essence I use, which is Rp 1,000 for one
\nsmall plastic sachet. The sweetness of the essence is the same as
\nthree kilograms of refined sugar.\"<\/p>\n
His syrup is made from a mixture of chemical dye (at Rp 200
\nper sachet), orange concentrate, the sugar essence and ice cubes.<\/p>\n
\"I add half a can of milk to give it a more natural orange
\ncolor,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Many other vendors also rely on chemical additives in
\npreparing their foods.<\/p>\n
Syahril, who sells crepes made from quail eggs for Rp 200
\neach, acknowledged he bought a cheap chili sauce, but said he was
\nno different than other vendors.<\/p>\n
\"Don't expect to see food vendors serving customers with good
\nquality chili sauce. I must buy cheap sauce, which comes in
\nplastic bags and is sold for Rp 1,000 per kilogram, to keep the
\nprice low. If I use branded (bottled) chili sauce I would have to
\nincrease the price and children couldn't afford it.\"<\/p>\n
He usually works near 01 Kota Bambu state elementary school in
\nWest Jakarta, with his cart parked next to a foul-smelling open
\ngutter. He cooks with monosodium glutamate.<\/p>\n
None of the snack vendors near the school, which is in the
\nslum area of Kota Bambu subdistrict near the red-light district
\nof Tanah Abang Bongkaran, were bothered on a recent school day as
\nflies flew back and forth between their food and the gutter.<\/p>\n
Corn cracker vendor Chairul said he made a little go a long
\nway by diluting his cheap sauce with water.<\/p>\n
Chairul, who operates near 01 Ampiun state elementary school,
\narranges his snacks in open boxes on a mat, leaving the food prey
\nto contamination by dust and dirt.<\/p>\n
Next to his space was a vendor of fried snacks, whose cooking
\noil had turned a dark brown from overuse, and one selling bakso
\n(meatballs).<\/p>\n
The meatball vendor washed his dirty dishes in the same water
\nused over and over again.<\/p>\n
But his business runs well. The children don't care. What's
\nimportant is that they can satisfy their hunger and thirst with
\ntheir limited money pocket.<\/p>\n
\"I usually choose cheap snacks because I have to make do with
\ndaily pocket money of Rp 1,000,\" said Sri Rejeki, 12, student of
\nprivate Bintang Pancasila elementary school in Penjaringan, North
\nJakarta. \"I have heard that the snacks are unhygienic but I have
\nbeen fine up to now.\"<\/p>\n
Research<\/p>\n
Research conducted by the Indonesian Consumers Foundation
\n(YLKI) shows that many snack vendors use dangerous food
\nsubstances, some of them prohibited by the government.<\/p>\n
Prohibited substances including synthetic dyes, some types of
\nartificial sweeteners and borax. They are potentially harmful to
\nhealth as known or suspected carcinogens and allergenics.<\/p>\n
A foundation researcher, Ilyani Sudradjat, said most of the
\nvendors used the dangerous substances due to ignorance and to cut
\ncosts.<\/p>\n
\"At the same time the government control of this matter is
\npoor due to various reasons, but mainly the lack of money. That's
\nwhy such a poor situation cannot be solved in the near future
\nunless it's through consumer awareness.\"<\/p>\n
Firman Lubis, chairman of the Kusuma Buana foundation which
\nfocuses on health issues of mothers and children, was of the same
\nopinion that it was up to the schools and the public to bring
\nvendors in line.<\/p>\n
Firman conducted a comparative study on snacks available for
\nschoolchildren in Japan. He said vendors were barred from
\noperating around Japanese schools, with school administrators
\nresponsible for handling the provision of snacks in the schools.<\/p>\n
\"Such a policy is, of course, difficult to implement here as
\nit's impossible to prohibit the vendors from making money around
\nschools, moreover during the economic crisis,\" said the expert on
\npublic health.<\/p>\n
\"The most likely institution which can improve the quality of
\nchildren's nutrition is the school, through training the food
\nvendors and providing a clean place for them. It would be under
\nthe condition that the latter are willing to use healthy food
\nsubstances and adhere to hygiene standards, but still (sell them)
\nat low prices.\"<\/p>\n
He said that following the standards would inevitably lead to
\nincreased costs for the vendors, \"but the schools should provide
\na subsidy for the project. Providing children with healthy food
\nis one of a school's moral obligations, isn't it?\"<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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