New York Bans Bake Sales

http://www.futureofcapitalism.com/2010/02/new-york-bans-bake-sales

The New York City public schools have adopted a policy that bans most bake sales but allows the sale of pre-packaged items such as Doritos and Pop-Tarts, the New York Times reports. The policy is in the name of the students' health:

To qualify as an approved item, a snack must meet 11 criteria developed by the city. For example, all products must be in marked, single-serving packages with a maximum calorie count of 200. Artificial sweeteners, like Splenda, are banned. Less than 35 percent of the item's total calories may come from either total sugars or fat. Grain-based products must contain at least 2 grams of fiber.

It's amazing how even the most seemingly innocuous effort -- like the Michelle Obama-backed crackdown on childood obesity -- can be turned by government bureacrats into complex regulatory regimens that wind up benefiting government-endorsed companies at the expense of moms, dads, and children:

To purchase food for approved sales, students may go to Costco or other stores to buy items for resale, said Eric Goldstein, the schools' chief executive for food and busing.

The city's new vending operator, The Answer Group, will also negotiate with vendors to produce fund-raising kits for students, probably by next September, said the group's president, Tom Murn.

That also didn't seem to excite students. "With the packaged goods, half the profits are going to the companies," said Anya Lehr, a senior at LaGuardia High School for the Arts.

by Editor  |  Feb 26, 2010 at 8:27 am Related Topics:  Health Care, New York, Politics, President Obama receive the latest by email: subscribe to the free futureofcapitalism.com mailing list