Fruit, “it costs nothing in season”

Most of the snacks offered by schools are made up of ultra-processed foods, concludes the regional student advocate.

The free snacks served in most elementary schools in the Montreal School Service Center (CSSDM) are inadequate and potentially harmful because they are composed – eight times out of ten – of ultra-processed foods, instead of fruits and vegetables. The CSSDM must correct these “marked” and “obvious” discrepancies, says an investigation report obtained by The Press.

The regional student protector of the Center de l’Île region came to this conclusion after studying the complaint of Montrealer Daniel Vézina, who first tried to convince his children’s school to respect the requirements of the government. His failure pushed him to use the Access to Information Actto find out which snacks primary schools order on the CSSDM platform.

The Ministry of Education – which finances the purchase of these snacks and meals to reduce social inequalities – specifies, in its information document, that they must respect Canada’s Food Guide, in order to “promote healthy global youth” and their success.

The CSSDM must therefore “identify highly processed foods, or at the limit of being so [comme certains yogourts à boire exagérément sucrés]in order to remove them from the snack offer” and “eliminate their presence […] for all students,” concludes M^e Marie-Ève ​​Dorion in her investigation report.

“Various studies confirm the contribution of these foods to the development of chronic diseases, particularly obesity,” she recalls. In Quebec, one child in ten suffers from obesity. And a growing number of them are developing early diabetes, which can attack the eyes, kidneys and blood vessels.

At least half of snacks must include a fruit or vegetable by the start of the 2024 school year, M also recommends.^e Dorion. And the following year, they will have to include it every day, as required by Canada’s Food Guide, rather than once or twice a week.

The investigation confirms the discoveries that the father made using the Access to Information Act. Only 6.7% of snacks purchased by CSSDM elementary schools were fruits and vegetables in 2022-2023. And 80% were ultraprocessed – either high in calories, added sugars, saturated fat, salt or additives.

Unequal supply

In fact, schools therefore distribute twice as many problematic snacks as what is indicated in the CSSDM sample menus, including molasses pancakes, which are not even included there, specifies M.^e Dorion. Many others contain unsavory ingredients like palm oil and glucose-fructose.

The CSSDM argued that children who are not getting enough to eat at home need more calorie dense foods. But their vulnerability justifies, on the contrary, “increasing [l’]offers fruits and vegetables in all possible ways,” says the student’s protector.

The pitfalls – such as the lack of infrastructure and workforce – are real, but do not exempt the organization from its commitments, slice M^e Dorion, for whom the good of the children must prevail.

In its Healthy Eating Policy, the CSSDM itself promises to follow Canada’s Food Guide and to “offer, at all times, foods of good nutritional value and quality.”

“Each establishment must carry out an analysis of its environment” to find solutions, says the regional protector. Some “seem to have chosen to make healthy eating habits a priority” and manage to follow good practices.

Too complicated ?

The experts consulted by The Press (and cited in the following text) hope that the regional protector’s investigation will motivate all school service centers to offer healthier snacks.

But the general director of the CSSDM, Isabelle Gélinas, quickly announced in writing to M^e Dorion that she would not follow several of his recommendations, judging that the “requested exercise” was “premature and disproportionate”.

His center has banned sugary drinks and is already working to “eliminate […] foods whose nutritional values ​​deviate greatly from the targets” set by Health Canada, she assures. It will update its menu offerings to make more room for fruit.

But the CSSDM is waiting for the Ministry of Education to publish the update of its Framework Policy for Healthy Eating, during the next school year, before making most of the adjustments.

“The CSSDM wants prepackaged foods, which last six months on a shelf, which can be eaten quickly in class, which do not get dirty, and which the students like, so as not to waste anything… They don’t have the right priorities! They should roll up their sleeves instead of stubbornly justifying their inaction, Daniel Vézina is indignant. I hope that the members of the board of directors will put the best interests of the children first. »

The CSSDM spokesperson indicated to The Press that the subject will be on the agenda at its meeting on May 8 and that he will be able to answer questions after this date.