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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday December 15, 2007 - 27 Students will be weaned off trans-fat foods By Tim Whitnell SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER T here is going to be a transition to transfat-free foods in school cafeterias and vending machines at school boards across Ontario, and a Halton District School Board official says they should have no problem adapting to the expected changes. In an attempt to combat a growing obesity problem among children from junior kindergarten to Grade 12, the province introduced legislation Dec. 5. Ontario's Healthy Food for Healthy Schools Act calls for a ban on trans fats in many foods in all school cafeterias and an outright ban on trans fats in all school vending machine products. "Our goal would be to have the regulations done and in place for next September (2008)," Ontario Ministry of Education spokesperson Michelle Despault said in an interview, in reference to stricter guidelines around trans fats in school cafeterias. She said the timeline for a complete ban on trans fats found in vending machine foods is to be established following consultation in January on healthy food guidelines. The government will be referencing the updated Canada Food Guide, she said. Under the proposed legislation, Ontario would move to exempt some foods that naturally contain small amounts of trans fat, including beef, lamb and milk. Despault said that exceptions would be made for schools that hold special events like pizza, hot dog or bake days. Despault added the legislation only talks about trans fats; it does "The kids themselves have started to make a real shift toward the healthier choices, so I'm not sure it's going to be as controversial as one might suspect. There is clearly a trend toward those choices, in our opinion." Gerry Cullen, superintendent of facilities, Halton District School Board not mention other kinds of fat in foods or sodium (salt) intake. Trans fat is often found in French fries, potato chips, some cookies and other cafeteria foods. The processed oil can contribute to childhood obesity. The government says the rate of obesity in kids has tripled in the past 25 years. Most obese children become overweight adults, putting them at higher risk for diabetes and heart disease. Cutting processed trans fat could help extend their lives and save health care dollars, say government officials. The Health Canada website says fats in foods are made up of four types of fatty acids polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, saturated and trans. Trans fats are found naturally in some animal-based foods, but are also formed when liquid oils are made into semi-solid fats like shortening and hard margarine. Scientific evidence has shown that dietary trans fats can increase the risk of developing heart disease. Gerry Cullen, the superintendent of facilities services with the Halton public school board expects a smooth transition to trans-fatfree products within their schools. "It's been the topic of discussion for some time. Our cafeteria contract was to be renewed this past September and we (already) extended the existing arrangement for one (school) year anticipating something was about to change," concerning nutritional guidelines, said Cullen. "Our contracts will go out for renewal this year to start next September, so we can change all conditions necessary and comply with that date without too much difficulty." Whether the cafeterias can accommodate the forthcoming changes, such as equipment needs, will be part of the contract discussions with the board's potential food providers, said Cullen. The superintendent said the trend at the Halton board has been to offer students a greater variety of foods and healthier choices. "This isn't a new initiative, but a very specific one. The direction that has been taken throughout the past several years has been to introduce healthy choices so that menu selections are significantly different than they were years ago. Kids can still choose to go the route of French fries, but an awful lot of them are looking for the salads, looking for the healthy choice meals, looking for water to drink as opposed to pop," said Cullen. "The kids themselves have started to make a real shift toward the healthier choices, so I'm not sure it's going to be as controversial as one might suspect. There is clearly a trend toward those choices, in our opinion." As far as vending machines and the proposed all-out ban on trans fats in those prod- ucts, Cullen said there are a number of different arrangements, including a deal with Pepsi for beverages, and food service contracts that would require re-stocking of trans-fat-free compliant products. He doesn't think the earning power of the service provider or the board will be dramatically affected by the proposed changes. "Sales might shift from one product to another. Certain students will choose to make their lunches and some will choose to leave the property and go elsewhere but the pattern or habit of going to the cafeteria for lunch seems to be the more prevalent force; students who got into the routine will most likely continue to do so and they'll just have a different variety to choose from." Health care and education groups are happy about the anti-trans-fat legislation. "We are very pleased the government is joining us in our fight against trans fats," Rocco Rossi, CEO of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, said in a news release. "We look forward to working together to make our schools a healthier environment for our children." The Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF) issued a statement saying it is in agreement as well. "This legislation, regulating the sale of foods containing trans fats and regulating the availability of specific beverages, will not solve all the problems in delivering healthy alternatives to students but makes considerable strides in tackling the dietary issues facing many Ontario students," said Ken Coran, president of the OSSTF.