British Columbia guidelines against "any drinks with artificial
sweeteners"
in January 2008 in school vending machines, stores, cafeterias or
fundraisers -- also recently in Ontario and Quebec, Janet
Steffenhagen
2007.12.28 Vancouver Sun:  Murray 2008.04.10

http://rmforall.blogspot.com/2008_04_01_archive.htm
Thursday, April 10, 2008
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1537
____________________________________________________

"The province has distributed rules [ given ministry guidelines ]
indicating which foods are no longer allowed to be sold in schools
through vending machines, stores, cafeterias or fundraisers.

The rules [ guidelines ] divide foods into two categories -- those
that
are considered healthy and may be sold in schools and those that are
considered generally unhealthy and are off-limits.

The latter category includes highly processed foods and those with
large amounts of sweetener, salt, fat and calories relative to their
nutritional value.

In some cases, the ban [ ministry guideline ] is clear: schools are
not
to sell crackers, muffins, cakes, cookies, doughnuts, pastries,
croissants, sugary cereals, popcorn, chips, cheesies, cream cheese,
fries, candy, chocolate, pop, coffee
and any drinks with artificial sweeteners."

"...Ontario and Quebec joined B.C. in legislating bans.
Alberta is leaving decisions on junk-food sales to individual
schools."

www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=99a35e92-3484-46a9-a271-052ffb120281

Main Switchboard  604-605-2000
Mailing address:  #1 - 200 Granville Street,
Vancouver BC V6C 3N3 CANADA

Fundraising parents wonder what to sell as junk-food ban looms
New rules mean those who sell snacks to raise money for schools
will have to re-examine their products
Janet Steffenhagen, Vancouver Sun
Published: Friday, December 28, 2007

Elementary schools say they're ready for new rules
[ ministry guidelines ] in January prohibiting [ advising ending ]
junk-food sales to students, but parents who peddle
hot dogs, pizzas and chocolate to raise money for their schools
are still grappling with the change.

The province-wide push to get junk food out of schools means
parents who raise money by selling goodies will have to
re-examine their products to ensure they meet provincial guidelines.
The campaign starts in elementary schools
and moves into middle schools and high schools in September.

Some foods will have to be dropped altogether while others will
have to be modified, which could make them less appealing.
"It's a lot easier when you sell chocolate," Phil Moses, principal
of Captain Cook elementary school in Vancouver, said in an
interview. "Making a profit on whole wheat pizza could
be difficult."

[ Will that be juice or water? That's what students at
Bayview elementary and all other elementary schools will be offered.
Photo Glenn Baglo/Vancouver Sun ]

The province has distributed rules [ given ministry guidelines ]
indicating which foods are no longer allowed to be sold in schools
through vending machines, stores, cafeterias or fundraisers.

The rules [ guidelines ] divide foods into two categories -- those
that
are considered healthy and may be sold in schools and those that are
considered generally unhealthy and are off-limits.

The latter category includes highly processed foods and those with
large amounts of sweetener, salt, fat and calories relative to their
nutritional value.

In some cases, the ban [ ministry guideline ] is clear: schools are
not
to sell crackers, muffins, cakes, cookies, doughnuts, pastries,
croissants, sugary cereals, popcorn, chips, cheesies, cream cheese,
fries, candy, chocolate, pop, coffee
and any drinks with artificial sweeteners.

But in other cases, the ban [ ministry guideline ] depends on the
ingredients.
For example, it includes many -- but not all -- fruit juices, tomato
and vegetable juices, pasta salads, stir-fries, sandwiches with deli
or processed meats, sausage or vegetable rolls, tuna salads,
wieners and sausages, meat pies and pizzas.

Geoff Burns, vice-principal at a Nelson school that was one of
the first to experiment with B.C.'s new rules, said one of the biggest
challenges was deciphering labels to determine which foods were in
the "unhealthy" category but could still be okay given that they
contained unusually low amounts of salt, sugar or fat.

"It was crazy," he said in an interview, describing how staff at
Trafalgar middle school pulled items from vending machines
to examine labels and make a judgment.

That process is easier now that the government has expanded its
Dial-A-Dietician service ( 604-732-9191 or 1-800-667-3438 )
to help schools determine which foods are still okay
and which ones are not.

The discussion about ending junk-food sales in Canadian schools
began almost 10 years ago, but there was little action until recently
when Ontario and Quebec joined B.C. in legislating bans. Alberta
is leaving decisions on junk-food sales to individual schools.

The B.C. government first promised to stop junk-food sales
in October 2004 but delayed implementation until 2009,
saying it wanted to give schools a chance to adjust
and fulfil contractual obligations with suppliers.

Recently, however, Education Minister Shirley Bond moved the
deadline forward by a year, noting that one of every four children
in the province is overweight. She also announced plans to require
students to engage in 30 minutes of daily physical activity
starting next fall.

Many schools worried a junk-food ban would result in a loss of
revenue, especially in large high schools where vending machines
dispensing pop, candy and chips can bring in $30,000 a year
or more.

But Burns said the change won't necessarily mean less money.
In his school, vending machine revenue rose slightly after healthy
products were introduced. Students spent more on drinks when
the offerings changed from sodas to power drinks and later to
water and fruit juice, boosting revenues to an average of $150
a month from $70.

But they bought fewer snacks, and food revenues fell to $225
a month from $290.
Trafalgar is not yet fully in compliance with provincial rules because
of the difficulty in finding healthy snacks, Burns said.

Asked about the students' reaction to the change, he said: "I have
heard no complaints whatsoever. The kids get it. They understand
that selling candy at lunch is probably not the best thing for them."

The change did not affect the school's parent advisory council
because unlike most PACs in B.C., it does not engage in fundraising
-- for philosophical reasons, he added.

Although Trafalgar now offers healthier choices, Burns told the
annual teachers' congress last month that it still has a way to go to
satisfy all provincial rules. There continues to be a debate about
whether schools should be selling any foods or bottled water to
students, especially given the environmental effects of the packaging,
he said.

Susan Lambert, vice-president of the B.C. Teachers' Federation,
won applause from about 100 teachers from around the province
attending the congress when she stated emphatically that schools
should not sell any such products to students.

"I don't think there is room in our schools for any vending machines
--  whether they sell Coke or water," she said.

Sun Education Reporter,  jsteffenhagen@png.canwest.com;

Visit Janet Steffenhagen's education blog The Report Card
http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/reportcard/default.aspx

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070914/charest_junkfood_07
0914?s_name=&no_ads=

Quebec to eliminate junk food in schools
Updated Fri. Sep. 14 2007 6:14 PM ET
The Canadian Press

MONTREAL -- French fries, soft drinks and other types of junk
food will soon be gone from Quebec schools as the province joins
other jurisdictions in Canada taking aim at childhood obesity.

Premier Jean Charest announced Friday that food with little
nutritional value will stop being offered in pre-, elementary and high
schools starting in January 2008.

The policy is already being implemented in many school across the
province, which Charest acknowledged will help the policy gain
traction.

"Many schools and school boards have preceded us in this policy,''
he said while announcing the policy at a local school.
"We're not starting from zero today.''

School vending machines will have their sugary sweets replaced
by healthier fare, such as yogurt, fruits and juice.

Quebec's education minister said the government's policy should
have an impact on students' performance.

"A child who is well fed, that has a balanced diet, increases their
capacity to concentrate, increases their intellectual capacity to
absorb information and certainly improves their memory,''
said Michelle Courchesne.

But Charest also pointed out that the policy has its limits,
given that 80 per cent of students bring a lunch from home.

Charest said in order to attack what he called an obesity problem,
schools not only have to offer healthy food and exercise but
parents need information to make the right choices for their children.

The premier also moved to correct the perception that cutting junk
food from the province's schools will come at a cost.

"It's not true that it costs more,'' Charest said.

However, officials with Quebec's Education Department admitted
that the healthier options may cost slightly more in certain cases,
parents have expressed their willingness to take the hit for the sake
of their child's diet.

The Liberal government will add $11 million to an existing $5-million
program to allow schools to develop programs for exercise and
healthy food choices.

Schools in British Columbia and Nova Scotia are among those
to have already instituted similar policies.

[ Premier Jean Charest announces that food with little nutritional
value will stop being offered in schools at a press conference in
Montreal, Que. Friday, Sept. 14, 2007.  Photo]

http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/reportcard/archive/2008/02/04/d
oes-tilma-support-junk-food-in-schools.aspx

Does TILMA support junk food in schools?

First a confession: I have reported that B.C. banned junk-food sales
in schools and as products for parent fundraisers. That's inaccurate.

There is no legislated ban, only ministry guidelines
for food and beverage sales in B.C. schools.

Boards of education have been told they must report their progress
in implementing these guidelines when they file annual achievement
contracts -- and I would be surprised if any of them flout the rules.
They have told elementary school principals to comply and will
extend that advice to middle and secondary schools for September.

Does it matter if the ministry has issued guidelines rather than a
ban?
Some critics suggest B.C. is not allowed to ban junk-food sales
under TILMA, the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement.
(See comment from BC Fed president Jim Sinclair here
and the Centre for Policy Alternatives here.)

Education Minister Shirley Bond was asked at the recent Teachers'
Congress if TILMA tied her hands in dealing with junk-food sales.
She replied with an emphatic no. I filed a freedom-of-information
request for any reports, documents or communications that mention
the impact of TILMA on junk-food sales in schools and was told
by the ministry that none exists.

But Vancouver school trustee Ken Denike said he was told by
Christy Clark that indeed government decided to regulate rather
than legislate because of TILMA.
(It's Denike's view that the end result will be the same.)

UPDATE -- April 10th news release from the Stop Tilma campaign:

"A legal opinion released today finds that the B.C. government's
guidelines on junk food in schools could be challenged under the
terms of the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement
(TILMA).

The opinion by lawyer Steven Shrybman of Sack Goldblatt Mitchell
says that TILMA, the trade deal between BC and Alberta,
could impact decisions like the junk food ban in schools to the point
where the initiative could be scrapped if it restricts investment."

Published Monday, February 04, 2008 11:45 AM by JSteffenhagen
Filed under: shirley bond, schools, B.C., ken denike, trade, mobility,
TILMA, Christy Clark, junk food, guidelines, investment,
Jim Sinclair, fundraisers, PAC

Comments

Caelie Frampton said:

Another interesting point is that the
British Columbia School Trustees' Association (BCSTA)
passed a resolution last year at their AGM requesting that school
boards be exempt from TILMA. An exemption would protect
measures passed at the school board level that "restrict or impair"
investment. Any measure passed at the school board level in
relation to these new guidelines could be in violation of the
agreement.

In Oct. 2007, the BCSTA released their analysis of TILMA.
It is disappointingly pro-TILMA, written with the help of
Robert Muskgrave, one of the TILMA authors.
The BCSTA does not even mention the NAFTA-style private
enforcement process set up under the agreement.
To see the BCSTA analysis go here
www.bcsta.org:8080/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-27551/BCSTA_Paper_TILMA.pdf

Further, this paper is vastly different from the one commissioned
by SD 63 trustee Joan Axford. You can read her paper here:
www.civicgovernance.ca/node/198

Axford warns that TILMA could have great impacts on public
policy decision making at the school board level.

For more information I can be contacted at stoptilma@gmail.com;
February 5, 2008 7:12 PM

www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=544828&in_p
age_id=1770

Junk food vending machines to be banned from NHS hospitals
Last updated at 22:04pm on 25th March 2008

Comments Comments (13)
Junk food has been banned from vending machines
in 130 NHS hospitals.

Chocolate, crisps and fizzy drinks will be replaced by muesli bars,
nuts and fruit juices.

Vending machine

Vending machines in hospitals won't be stocking crisps
and chocolate in the future

Hospital shops, including those run by the
Women's Royal Voluntary Service,
will also be encouraged to provide healthier food.

The transformation will take place over the next six months
in hospitals in Wales, with sugary, fatty and salty snacks in
vending machines replaced with a range of
Government-approved healthy alternatives.

If the trial proves successful it could be extended to cover
hospitals in England within two years.

Wales has an alarmingly high rate of diet-related illness.
Sixty per cent of adults are overweight or obese.

But the drive is also being aimed at children after it was
revealed 20 per cent of six to 13 year-olds in Wales
are overweight or obese, the highest rate in the UK.

Muesli and juice

A couple of the healthier options that could replace junk food
in hospital vending machines

Welsh health minister Edwina Hart said: "The public sector
should be setting a good example, particularly our hospitals.

"We need to create an environment where it is easier for people
to make healthy choices.

"Diet has an important role to play in the prevention of obesity and
chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease, diabetes
and certain cancers.

"This is the first stage of our plans to improve hospital food."

The Welsh Assembly will meet with vending machine providers
to find ways of introducing the healthier snacks.

It will also publish clear definitions of what will be allowed in the
machines.

But Vanessa Bourne, of the Patients Association
warned the healthy foods should not be too expensive.

She said: "We need to be aware that the healthy option shouldn't
become the expensive option because if it is, it won't work.

"A choice is the obvious way to go and to educate people in the
most meaningful sense."

The ban was not well-received by some patients in Welsh hospitals
yesterday.

Bill Lyons, 75, who is in the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend,
said: "I think they should keep chocolate.  "It's a real bind being in
hospital and it is something to look forward to."

http://abc26.trb.com/news/health/wgno-sns-ap-latvia-junk-food-ban,0,2965630.story

Latvia Bans Junk Food Sales in Schools
By Associated Press,

November 1, 2006, 10:31 PM CST

RIGA, Latvia --

A comprehensive ban on the sale of junk food in Latvia's
state schools went into force Wednesday as part of the
country's drive to improve children's diets.

European health experts have said Latvia is the first EU country
to introduce a sweeping ban on junk food sales in public schools.

School shops and cafeterias in the country of 2.3 million
will no longer be able to sell soft drinks, candy bars, potato chips
and chewing gum.

Items containing artificial flavorings and colorings will also be
banned from sale in primary and secondary schools.

Officials said school children would still be able to bring junk food
into schools, but the Health Ministry is hoping teachers will
encourage pupils not to do this.

As part of the program, the ministry will also promote healthy foods
such as milk, juice and fruits.

The government adopted the ban in August based on reports from
doctors that an increasing number of Latvian children were
overweight and seeking medical help due to digestive problems.

Many school kids were skipping the cafeteria and using their lunch
money to buy carbonated soft drinks and potato chips.

Latvia joined the EU in 2004.

Many other EU member states offer a set of recommendations
but have stopped short of prohibiting sales of junk food.

Copyright © 2008, The Associated Press

no one is pushing aspartame.  please stick to honesty if at all
possible.

wow, you sure have a paranoia issue Andy

i don't have to prove to you that i've been diabetic for over 20 years,
and YOU are the first person to have ever called me a shill in all the
years i have been on usenet

the length of time i have been diabetic simply is the length of time i
have been diabetic........... no need for sympathy there

can i suggest counselling for you, you really seem to have a few problems

take care
kate (stevia free!)

-=Andy=- wrote in message ...

Actually, one can filter out anybody they choose to, even annoying
people.

Cheri

after that rant, you shot any chance of credibility all to hell.

and this is different from vitriol? how?

!?!?!? Then you _have_ _not_ _read_ the posts you are condemning.