Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Bake Sale Buzz Kill

My timing couldn't have been worse. Now that I finally know how to bake sweet treats from scratch, New York City is voting today on whether to amend the pre-existing ban on selling homemade goodies at school "bake" sales.

According to yesterday's New York Times' "City Room" blog:

The new regulation is meant as a compromise between the city’s concerns about childhood obesity— which they cite as the reason for the restrictions — and the fund-raising needs of student and parent groups, some of which are struggling amid difficult economic times, especially after losing one of their most lucrative sources of revenue.

Under the new rules, students may sell fresh fruits and vegetables, or one of 27 specific packaged items that have been approved for sales in city vending machines, between the start of school and 6 p.m. on weekdays. The same goes for parent groups, except for an exception carved out for one no-brownies-barred Parent Teacher Association bake sale during the school day per month.

No homemade or unpackaged items are on the list of “approved” foods because “it’s impossible to know what the content is, or what the portion size is,” said Kathleen Grimm, the deputy chancellor for infrastructure and portfolio planning, who oversees the regulation.


As a mom of two school-age children, I'm all for limiting the sweets intake. But I don't see how packaged items such as Dorito's and Pop-Tarts (both of which are on the list of approved items) are healthier than my homemade brownies.

5 comments:

A Mom Amok said...

As someone who has overseen several entrepreneurial endeavors on the stoop -- many bake sales and one freshly-picked strawberries from the farm sale == I fear for the future of school fundraising. We couldn't give those strawberries away, and my son is a closer, all right. Plus a very fetching "Dancing Strawberry" sign.

Kathy N. said...

Our school fund raiser was held on election day, when the school gym is taken over by voters. Some voters say they love to vote b/c of the bake sale! All of the customers were local adults. Some of the only child beneficiaries were my children, who were helping me staff the table!

Undomesticated Me said...

Also, how are fundraisers going to make any money when a good deal of the profits will be going to Frito-Lay, et. al?

Bernie Bernstein said...

It's Me, Mom - What is this world coming to? I've been attending bake sales, and doing some of the baking myself, since I was a kid (and that was many years ago). All the parents have to do is limit the amount of goodies the kids eat. I'm flabbergasted.

Unknown said...

I love Bake Sale Buzz Kill title..
Best..Merle