Students exposed to potentially harmful food

JAKARTA (JP): Most of the soft drinks and snacks sold in elementary school canteens use textile dyes and are contaminated with E. coli bacteria, which causes worm-related diseases, the Kusuma Buana Foundation disclosed on Wednesday.

Adi Sasongko, head of the foundation's anemia eradication team, said that they discovered such conditions after conducting surveys in a number of elementary schools in Jakarta recently.

"The canteen owners confirmed the use of these unhealthy substances. They said that it was cheaper to use textile dyes," he told a seminar on an anemia eradication program in Jakarta's elementary schools.

By consuming the unhealthy food and drinks, the school children were exposed to dangerous illnesses such as cancer, which could be caused by consuming the textile dyes over a long period.

Aside from being unhygienic, the nutritionless snacks also contributed to the poor eating habits of the school children and left them suffering from worm-related diseases and anemia, he explained.

According to the foundation's research, first and second grade children were the most prone to anemia and worm-related diseases because of their poor eating habits.

Children with anemia would have difficulties in concentrating, became easily exhausted and experienced general physical weakness.

Adi said that out of 2,864 elementary school children surveyed in Jakarta last year, more than forty percent, mostly female students, suffered from anemia.

"The causes in female elementary students must be tackled soon because their anemia could become worse when they enter puberty," he cautioned.

Adi and his team encourage parents to check up on their children's eating habits, and to maintain nutrition levels in their children's food to prevent them from suffering anemia.

They also advise school canteen owners to provide more healthy and hygienic food, and suggest that public schools maintain continuous supervision over the canteens.

Another effort to promote healthy eating habits among school children is to hold a lunch event with healthy menus once a week, where the children would lunch together after school.

"Parents tell me their children prefer to eat vegetables if they experience eating them together with their friends ... it's a psychological effect. Human beings tend to eat more among friends," Adi said.

Since elementary school children can be easily taught, it was possible to instill healthy eating habits in them, he added.

The foundation has been cooperating with city education and health agencies since 1987 to combat worm-related diseases and anemia among school children.(06)