HEALTHY EATING FOR CHILDREN

I had a very interesting email from the United Kingdom from educator Georg Janssen who is involved at school level on the project I am going to describe below.

In early 2007, Northern Foods, Nestle and Cargill funded a primary school project called "PhunkyFoods." This is a curriculum based programme which provides weekly lesson plans for children in primary school groups.All lesson materials are written and developed by nutritionists and educationalists. The funding partners are not involved in the formulation of lessons at all.

The purpose is to help children in their current and future well-being and health.They will be guided to start off in life with a better understanding of healthy eating and the importance of active and balanced lifestyles. Without loosing out on the fun aspects of eating and snacking.

Georg tells that naturally an emphasis is placed on the snacks children tend to buy themselves with pocket money or which parents buy on supermarket trips. The programme actually began trials in 2005. The Northern Foods, Nestle and Cargill began their funding, after noting the success of the project, in 2007.

Health trends among chocolatiers in the UK seem to be gathering force. In September 8, this year Cadbury will launch Dairy Milk Canberry and Granola and Dairy Milk Apricot Crumble bars. The new flavours were selected with consumer insights into health, taste and nutritional and energy values.

On snacks Pringle has launched Rice Infusions, Hula Hoops have come up with Multigrain. Kit Kat, introduced, or will do so shortly, bring out Red Berry, Mango and Passion Fruit. Rowntree will launch more sugar-free snacks by using natural flavours and colours.

In Indonesia researchers says that there is more concern on health issues particularly on that of children.Principals of schools have shown concern of increasing cases of obesity among children under 10years. Some have indicated high interest in a regular curriculum based programme in primary schools on healthy eating and snacking.It will certainly be kicked off in October in the school which my children attend.

An additional prat of the curriculum, tried here in Indonesia, will be on how not to be "priced out" of healthy eating and snacking. This is naturally focused on low-income families or those with tight budgets.

INDONESIA CELEBRATES.

Indonesia celebrated it 63rd anniversary of Independence on Sunday 17Th August. In my community there was a lot of chocolate at our Traditional Foods Bazaar which was the main part of our celebrations. I sold 56 bars of Silver Queen Chunky(my best ever record in 6 hours) which is a 100gm long corrugated bar with lots of bite and mouth feel. Other stalls sold homemade chocolate tarts,chocolate biscuits,chocolate rice buns and various other chocolate pastries.

I paused a bit to consider,was chocolate really a traditional Indonesian food? I sell Silver Queen(among others), the brand which has dominated this market for over 50 years. There are numerous home industries that have been operating with chocolate for years.According to a manufacturer of chocolate ingredients, they have a list of over16,000 such industries in five major cities in Java. I have even had the privilege of visiting some of them recently. Traditions of chocolate at home and hearth are strong.

This country provides,what the World Cocoa Foundation says, is "an efficient, good quality 'bulk' beans and products supplier to World Markets." Their figures also say that we provide 16% of the World's Cocoa and Cocoa products market.

It is not perhaps a well known that the Petra Foods Group which has several manufacturing units in Indonesia( the Group,s heritage has strong Indonesian roots) is the third largest manufacturer of cocoa products in the world.

Exports of cocoa products by Indonesian processors is worldwide. BT Cocoa regularly supplies Cargill, Unicom International, Theobroma. Olam, Barry Callebaut among others.

Indonesian products even go to South America, if you forgive my cliche, is rather like shipping coals to Newcastle. A full circle completes! In the late 16 Century cocoa arrived from Caracas, Venezuela from Indonesia.

Indonesia cocoa development programmes include Farmer Field Schools, CPB Control, Applied Research. Pilot Activities Scaling up Successful Innovations and Improving Farm Level Incomes, Productivity and Quality.It may be possible that by 2020 Production could could double to one million metric tonnes, supplying a fifth of World market requirements.

I am a little envious of Vietnam's programme with the WCF Partnership. Here Long Lam University with WCF Funding has programmes of germplasm,breeding and setting up of demonstration plots on cocoa-agro systems.Plantations in Java have implemented cocoa-agro systems growing vanilla and other crops alongside cocoa. But it can be more wide spread and growing with research and technology guidance.

It must also be noted that Indonesian cocoa meets all the ethical and moral requirements of world trading.