Snacks: A real danger at school

Snacking during school hours is not as harmless as many parents think; research has found that many of the food products contain harmful substances. The Jakarta Post's Ida Indawati Khouw examines the problem of cheap snacks which may carry a high health cost for kids.

JAKARTA (JP): The orange-colored drink looks tempting, just what a youngster needs after a hard day in the classroom and running around the school yard.

Yet, to paraphrase the old saying, do not judge a drink by its color. The vendor calls it "syrup", and it is actually a concoction of additives, sugar concentrate and a hefty dose of artificial coloring.

"Of course I don't use real orange because I couldn't sell it at a reasonable price of Rp 500 (about 6 US cents) per glass," said Srimohari, who usually operates near schools in the Senen area in Central Jakarta.

As the nation's children get down to the business of learning, they may need to take a crash course in distinguishing between good and bad food.

The snacks consumed by children almost every day may well be prepared in unhygienic conditions and pose a health risk.

It is not a new complaint, but no concrete action has been taken to force vendors to clean up their act. The capital was shocked last year following reports of dozens of elementary school students who suffered food poisoning from the use of products past their shelf life.

People would probably not have been surprised by the report if they paid attention to how most vendors prepare the snacks and the manner in which they are served.

Several vendors admitted they were forced to cut corners in order to earn a profit.

Srimohari, who also sells a traditional beverage using rice flour droplets, said he could not use high-quality ingredients because of their expense.

He said he used Rp 6,000 as daily capital, from which he could earn between Rp 15,000 and Rp 20,000.

"For instance, I don't use refined sugar because the price is about triple the sugar essence I use, which is Rp 1,000 for one small plastic sachet. The sweetness of the essence is the same as three kilograms of refined sugar."

His syrup is made from a mixture of chemical dye (at Rp 200 per sachet), orange concentrate, the sugar essence and ice cubes.

"I add half a can of milk to give it a more natural orange color," he added.

Many other vendors also rely on chemical additives in preparing their foods.

Syahril, who sells crepes made from quail eggs for Rp 200 each, acknowledged he bought a cheap chili sauce, but said he was no different than other vendors.

"Don't expect to see food vendors serving customers with good quality chili sauce. I must buy cheap sauce, which comes in plastic bags and is sold for Rp 1,000 per kilogram, to keep the price low. If I use branded (bottled) chili sauce I would have to increase the price and children couldn't afford it."

He usually works near 01 Kota Bambu state elementary school in West Jakarta, with his cart parked next to a foul-smelling open gutter. He cooks with monosodium glutamate.

None of the snack vendors near the school, which is in the slum area of Kota Bambu subdistrict near the red-light district of Tanah Abang Bongkaran, were bothered on a recent school day as flies flew back and forth between their food and the gutter.

Corn cracker vendor Chairul said he made a little go a long way by diluting his cheap sauce with water.

Chairul, who operates near 01 Ampiun state elementary school, arranges his snacks in open boxes on a mat, leaving the food prey to contamination by dust and dirt.

Next to his space was a vendor of fried snacks, whose cooking oil had turned a dark brown from overuse, and one selling bakso (meatballs).

The meatball vendor washed his dirty dishes in the same water used over and over again.

But his business runs well. The children don't care. What's important is that they can satisfy their hunger and thirst with their limited money pocket.

"I usually choose cheap snacks because I have to make do with daily pocket money of Rp 1,000," said Sri Rejeki, 12, student of private Bintang Pancasila elementary school in Penjaringan, North Jakarta. "I have heard that the snacks are unhygienic but I have been fine up to now."

Research

Research conducted by the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) shows that many snack vendors use dangerous food substances, some of them prohibited by the government.

Prohibited substances including synthetic dyes, some types of artificial sweeteners and borax. They are potentially harmful to health as known or suspected carcinogens and allergenics.

A foundation researcher, Ilyani Sudradjat, said most of the vendors used the dangerous substances due to ignorance and to cut costs.

"At the same time the government control of this matter is poor due to various reasons, but mainly the lack of money. That's why such a poor situation cannot be solved in the near future unless it's through consumer awareness."

Firman Lubis, chairman of the Kusuma Buana foundation which focuses on health issues of mothers and children, was of the same opinion that it was up to the schools and the public to bring vendors in line.

Firman conducted a comparative study on snacks available for schoolchildren in Japan. He said vendors were barred from operating around Japanese schools, with school administrators responsible for handling the provision of snacks in the schools.

"Such a policy is, of course, difficult to implement here as it's impossible to prohibit the vendors from making money around schools, moreover during the economic crisis," said the expert on public health.

"The most likely institution which can improve the quality of children's nutrition is the school, through training the food vendors and providing a clean place for them. It would be under the condition that the latter are willing to use healthy food substances and adhere to hygiene standards, but still (sell them) at low prices."

He said that following the standards would inevitably lead to increased costs for the vendors, "but the schools should provide a subsidy for the project. Providing children with healthy food is one of a school's moral obligations, isn't it?"