Learning institutions are operating on a tight budget; hence they can’t afford to build a fully functional kitchen with qualified staff to cater to their students. Instead, they outsource school catering services to feed the students and install freezers and ovens to preserve and warm the food. It immensely cuts down hefty budgets of running the kitchens since they only have to hire staff to heat and serve them. Although this system seems to work and has been running for the longest time, several health complications are associated with it.
According to statistics, the annual average meal supply adds up to 7 million meals distributed by the national school lunch and breakfast programs. It makes selling food to such programs a massive investment that large catering companies are willing to maximize sales. Although they are aware of the health hazards associated with processed food-like diabetes, and obesity, these companies are forming alliances that run campaigns contradicting this reality.
It only shows how businesses are only concerned about making profits and not the health of the students. Since it’s a ready market for their products, they only increase their ‘healthy food’ production to meet the enormous demand. They have managed to convince the public that their packed foods are healthy even though they have lots of chemicals and preservatives to prolong their shelf life.
Contradicting Healthy Partnership Alliances
To ensure that schools work towards a healthy feeding program and change lifestyle. Several allied companies have built partnerships like Healthier America and Alliance for a Healthier Generation. Their main plan is to ensure that schools remove junk food from their school menu. In other terms, it emphasizes that the healthy choice is the only choice for kids and families as well. For instance, they use social media to give kids beneficial tips and fun activities that they can use in exercise. Annually the school that passes the Alliances criteria is awarded as a motivation to clear junk as part of their meals.
Parents are outnumbered in school wellness committees; hence, a large organization’s backing with tested and proven concepts is a relief. With the help of scientists, the organization can develop diligent criteria to be implemented by schools. They often go on a school tour to ensure that schools implement their suggestions and feed the healthy students’ diets. They also hold forums where parents and teachers can be educated on healthy eating habits and lifestyles by professionals.
Despite the sugarcoated display of health concern from the Alliance, it also ensures that all their strategies don’t affect business in any way. They have smoothly choreographed the events to ensure that business is not affected by healthy choices. The alliance’s constant acknowledging of companies’ efforts to fight obesity sends a chill. Through the Alliance, companies producing junk food have enhanced their reputation since most are members of the Alliance.
According to Alliance allies, they work in harmony to ensure that future generations live long, healthy lives. Some member companies of the Alliance include Coca-Cola, Dominos, PepsiCo; among others; these companies produce only junk, which can’t be beneficial in any way as they claim. They are the root cause of many health complications brought by poor eating habits.
By partnering with the Alliance, most allies have increased their sales since they promote ‘healthy’ versions of their products. It’s effortless to convince schools since no one cares enough to analyze the chemical component present in these products. They have a large market, which makes them produce more with a little healthy consideration for students. They ensure that the products adhere to minimal legal requirements of foods served to students.
Way Forward
Most of these alliances have not yielded any beneficial results in producing healthy food for the students. Instead, large corporations have increased their sales by only adhering to government minimum requirements for school food standards. The Alliance is unreliable in changing processed food content and developing better advocacy and legislation solutions.
In other words, it’s better to invest in healthy meals, which will be freshly cooked and served to the students since it’s the only guarantee of healthy food. Although it’s an expensive venture, it’s worth the children’s health by eliminating processed foods from schools.