A ban on the sale of large chocolate milk containers in high schools has been lifted, as of October 4, 2010. This is mainly a result because Canada’s Food guide recommends four servings per day of milk for teenagers, chocolate or not.
Elementary-age children still won’t be sold chocolate milk containers larger than one cup, with fears that children will fill up with milk and not healthier food. Yet, really it’s not hard to figure out that if children want 500mL of milk, they are just going to purchase two 250mL.
“We have a province telling us we should drink 500 mL a day, and then we have the same province in our school systems saying to the whole world, ‘Chocolate milk is not healthy for you,’” said Progressive Conservative Ernie Hardeman.
This whole policy and makes Chocolate milk go from a healthy nutritious source of calcium, protein, vitamins and minerals to a snarly evil sugary snack, especially for families who don’t understand why it’s ok for one age group but not another unless it’s a different size container.
Tory MPP Christine Elliott , told the Toronto Sun ”the government appears to be adjusting its nutrition policy on the fly. It’s just typical of what this government is doing, coming up with half-baked solutions to things, and then back tracking.”
However, Current Education Minister, and former Agricultural Minister Leona Dombrowsky commented, ”We have worked with families to understand what’s fair and what’s reasonable and the guidelines that are in place now really pretty much reflect the feedback that we received.”
Canadian families and children should have access to milk at school, otherwise they are going to walk off property and go to the local store and buy it there. Instead of wasting our time and money on a Chocolate Milk Ban, how about we take a serious look at “Chocolate Beverages” that are increasing in popularity in our grocery stores. Chocolate beverages looks exactly like Chocolate Milk, but doesn’t contain 100% canadian milk sources however the packaging looks exactly the same. Maybe we can replace choclate milk in schools with the newest chocolate beverage…surely that would limit children due to the obviously different taste…
Filed under: Dairy Tagged: | chocolate beverage, chocolate milk, school milk ban
