FOOD INTOLERANCE NETWORK
FACTSHEET
Healthy
Many teachers and parents are disappointed by the new anti-obesity
guidelines recently introduced into Australian schools. As one mother
commented: ‘Low salt, low sugar, low fat and let's give them every other bit of
sh*t we can find to give it taste. Missed the point I'd say’.
Artificial colours have been reduced – although not completely avoided -
through the ban on lollies and this has led to a noticeable decrease in
over-the-top behaviour associated with artificial colours, but in other ways,
the use of preservatives, flavours and flavour enhancers has actually
increased, including preservatives associated with asthma and learning
difficulties. If you wanted to design a diet to cause kids’ asthma, it would be
pretty close to what’s offering in school canteens, with more sulphites,
benzoates and flavour enhancers than ever, and yes, there are still some
colours around, in foods such as Rainbow icypoles.
Remember what Jamie Oliver said about chicken nuggets in Jamie’s School
Dinners? Well, here’s what one failsafer found in her new, ‘healthy’ school
canteen - chicken nuggets with the following ingredients: chicken (51%), flours
(wheat, rice, maize), potato flakes (potato, emulsifier (471)), isolate soy
protein, acidity regulator (330,450), preservative (220), salt, water, acidity
regulator (450,500,451), stabiliser (481,1404,471,412,415), Vegetable oil,
gluten, maltodextin, egg albumen, dextrose, firming agent (509), cereal
starches (tapioca, potato, wheat), hydrolysed vegetable protein, colour (100,
160c), dehydrated vegetables, herbs & spices, flavour (wheat, lactose)
antioxidant (320) emulsifier (900). In amongst all those numbers are two
particularly nasty additives – including sulphur dioxide 220, which can
literally be a killer for some kids - and at least three hidden flavour
enhancers. See our recipe below for homemade additive-free chicken nuggets.
Additive-free school canteens
The Food Intolerance Network has received so many enquiries about
developing Additive Free school canteens that Kathleen Daalmeyer and Jenny
Ravlic from the Melbourne group have started a newsletter to assist in
Supporting Additive Free Eating (SAFE) in your local school/kinder. They say:
"We hope to offer you some ideas that can help in promoting change,
suggest SAFE alternatives that can be offered for sale, and provide a forum for
the sharing of support and information. The SAFE newsletter will also include
some ideas and support for those in a preschool/childcare setting. Contact us
with your questions, your frustrations, and your success stories. The tide is
slowly turning and we are riding the crest of the wave. Together - we can learn
to surf!"
To subscribe send an email to safenewsletter@additiveeducation.com.au
with "Subscribe to SAFE" in
the subject line. Include a brief blurb on who you are, where you are, and what
stage you are at. Thanks to Kathleen and Jenny for this marvellous new
initiative.
Why school tuckshops
should ban additives
A recent review of a
quarter-century of scientific research found evidence in numerous studies that
some children's behaviour significantly worsens after they consume artificial
colours or certain foods. Independent scientists from the Centre for Science in
the Public Interest recommended that schools and other institutions dealing
with children should minimise the use of food additives, especially food
colours, that may contribute to behavioural disorders. "The obvious public health response would be to remove the
irritants, if possible, from the foods that children eat." The
report "Diet, ADHD and behaviour: a quarter-century review" can be
downloaded from the internet at www.cspinet.org
Wolney school's story (
A
junior school in the
Peter Winder, the head
teacher, said "we were very concerned that the crisps and fizzy drinks had
all the E-additives. One of our teachers asked if it was possible to trial the
sale of fruit in just one year group". The trial in 1996, had immediate results. "All the teachers in the
year group noticed a difference in behaviour and concentration."
The old tuck shop was
scrapped in 1997. Two years on, the school was the 34th most improved school in
the country. Its Key Stage Two test results in English, which were less than
half the national average in 1996 with 23 per cent of pupils achieving expected
levels, leapt to a 64% rate last year.
Eileen Ewin, who brought in
the change and who has taught at the school for 15 years, said: "After
eating tuck, the children were very hyperactive and a lot more difficult to
control." - The
The
Last year a small school in
About 70-80 per cent of children joined the trial, and everyone noticed
a difference – quieter, calmer, less yelling in class, concentrating better,
nicer to each other, less annoying, naughty children less naughty – and no
headaches, stomach aches or skin rashes. After the trial, the children were
allowed to buy a treat, and the camera caught what some experts claim doesn’t
happen – the children became loud, cheeky, annoying, fought with each other
again. We’ve already shown the
Other ideas
Many schools are choosing to extend the guidelines to make them
healthier. Special thanks to tiny
Some
* a Healthy Choice Menu including
an additive free range
* healthy snack time mid morning,
* ‘water within reach’
* cordial and soft drinks banned
in lunchboxes
* provision of physical activity
each day
* no lollies to be used as
rewards within the classroom
Some suggestions from the
Snacks
Pikelets (home-made) 2 per serve, with honey, jam or butter
Popcorn plain unflavoured, freshly popped
Jatz stacks (4 crackers with cheese)
Finger bun. Can be buttered (see below)
Muffins (homemade)
28 gram Red Rock deli chips
Cool treats and drinks
Juicies Frozen Fruit tube (additive free)
Dried fruit (no additives, see below)
Fresh ripe local fruit in season
Healthy choice sandwiches
These are completely additive free:
Egg
Egg and lettuce
Cheese
Chicken
Tuna in springwater
All available with lettuce or salad
Salad - Lettuce, tomato, carrot, cucumber, beetroot
Hot Food
Sandwiches can be toasted
Lasagne (additive free)
Lunchtime Cool treats and drinks
As above plus
Peters
Occasional mystery treat (varies but often homemade pure fruit juice
icecups, can be additive-free sweets)
Comments from Sue Dengate:
* full fat softened butter is used [lite spreads usually contain at
least one nasty additive such as sorbates 200-202, annatto 160b or BHA 320]
* bread is all free of preservative 282 (calcium propionate)
* popcorn is freshly air popped with vegie sea salt, but plain salt
would be better
* the cheese is sliced, but contains no nasty additives as with other
sliced cheeses
*red rock chips have come on board as they are only a 28g serve hence coming
within the amber guidelines; however we recommend Kettle plain chips if
possible
*dried mango and pineapple direct from local farm, dried naturally with
nothing added. A large range of unsulphited dried fruits including bananas are
available from www.begadriedfoods.com.au;
Goulburn Valley fruit leathers do unsulphited fruit and fruit leathers, phone
03 5829 2338
*crispy mango and crispy banana (freeze-dried fruit chips) from Lion of
Sahara Crispy Fruit in Woolworths and selected Franklins dried fruit sections. http://www.fmpmarketing.com.au/crispyFruit/crispyFruit.htm
*finger buns from the local bakery with white icing, no preservatives,
no fruit. Brumbys sell white iced preservative free finger buns
* the fruit and vegetables at Federal school are local, in season and
organic where possible. From supermarkets we especially recommend bananas,
golden and red delicious apples
*chicken for sandwiches is bought fresh, preferably free range, and
cooked to order with nothing added. Compare
this with the ingredients in the ‘Cooked & Diced Chicken Breast’
recommended by Canteen Associations: skinless chicken breast (99%), salt,
acidity regulator (451,450,452), whey powder, soy protein, wheat flour, water,
flavours [(partially hydrogenated cotton & soy oils) acidity regulator
(270,508), flavour enhancer (631,627), caramel colour (150d)], thickener
(1422), hydrolysed vegetable protein, vegetable powder, yeast extract, sugar.
Flavour enhancers 631 and 627 are the dreaded 600 numbers together making up
635, in our opinion one of the worst additives in our food supply, combined
with at least four sources of natural MSG.
*Peters Dixie Cups are a plain, small serve, relatively low fat, not
overly sweet vanilla icecream and they’re failsafe, we are delighted to see a
school stocking these, if only everyone could do it as a treat for failsafe
kids. Frozen yoghurt would be good if you could buy any brands without nasty
additives such as annatto 160b but I couldn’t find any.
* Another treat for failsafe kids: Coles or Bilo own brand Diced Pears
in Syrup Fruit Cups, frozen as icecups.
(Yes, I know they have some sugar in them…)
*Mystery treat: I recommend water icecups for hot days, simply pour
water into plastic cups and freeze. Also anything from the Smashi or
Sweettreats range, www.smashi.com and www.sweettreats.com.au
* another additive-free hot food suggestion: Jacket potatoes with extra
lite Philly cream cheese
* extra drinks suggestions: bottled spring water, So Good Soyaccino low
fat soymilk
* frozen Tri-Pies 07 3823 4755 tri-pies@ihug.com.au
are additive-free which is way ahead of traditional school canteen fare. Spicy
pea and potato (contains 49% onions) and Sweet potato and fetta (contains 29%
onions) both contain spices and so are not failsafe. They meet the nutritional
requirements for tuckshops too (i.e. fat, salt, sugar acceptable) - thanks to Kathleen of Additive Education,
Recipes
Halliwell Chicken Nuggets
- these nuggets are additive-free and kids love them.
500 g chicken breasts or thighs, cut into nugget shapes (easier to do
when chicken is half frozen)
1 clove garlic, crushed
sea salt to taste
plain flour
or gluten-free mix of cornflour and brown rice flour for coating
failsafe oil
Mix chicken with garlic and salt and let stand for about 30 minutes.
Roll chicken pieces in flour until all are coated then freeze for 15 minutes to
make flour stick better. Shallow fry in failsafe oil until crisp and golden
brown. Or for a low fat alternative: place chicken pieces in a bowl and stir with
stir with salt and flour until well coated. Then stir with enough oil to make
sure all pieces are coated. Bake in a preheated 180°C oven for 1 hour. Serve
with Logan Farm oven fry chips (the only ones we know of without hidden BHA
320) and green beans, or in a failsafe burger roll with salad – Deborah
Halliwell
Home-made additive free
sausage rolls
Pastry - 2 packets Pampas Butter
Puff Pastry frozen sheets (not rolls)
Filling - 1 kg mince
1 leek finely chopped in food processor then sautéed
4 cloves garlic crushed and sautéed
4 tsp sea salt
2 cups brown rice flour
2 eggs or 2 tbsp water.
Mix all ingredients except meat in food processor for smooth mix and add
to mince. Mix to a paste. Add extra water if necessary, up to a cup of water, to
make the mixture moist like sausage mince. Cut frozen pastry sheet in half. Put
mixture on the edge of the pastry, roll the pastry over. Seal with milk. Each
pastry sheet makes 4 sausages rolls. Brush tops with milk. Place on baking
tray. Bake at 220°C for 15 mins. Makes 26 rolls using 7 pastry sheets. – Deborah Halliwell
Feedback please - write
to suedengate@ozemail.com.au with other additive free or failsafe canteen
suggestions.
Special thanks to Tina Standish of Federal School for additive-free
ideas and suggestions
The information given is not intended as medical advice. Always consult
with your doctor for underlying illness. Before beginning dietary
investigation, consult a dietician with an interest in food intolerance.
update September 2006
