DON’T LET YOUR KIDS EAT CRISPY SNACKS

MBABANE – Crispy snacks are cleverly designed to be irresistibly addictive—once you take a single bite, it's almost impossible to stop until the entire packet is gone.

These snacks are crafted with just the right balance of flavour, texture, and crunch to keep you reaching for more, making them a favourite indulgence for children and adults alike. However, as irresistible as they are, they are not safe for children and eating them can be lethal.

In South Africa (SA), it was recently reported that recently, 23 people, mainly children, died after eating crispy snacks. Many of the deaths were linked to snacks sold by foreign-owned spaza shops, with allegations of expired goods, counterfeit brands, and improper handling practices.The tragedy prompted that country’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa to order a crackdown, including the closure of implicated shops and a 21-day ultimatum for all food-handling facilities to comply with health regulations.

Senior Nutrition Officer, who is also the Head of Programmes at the Eswatini Nutrition Council, Siniketiwe Zwane, has warned of a growing health crisis, citing the absence of strict controls on imported snacks and their impact on children’s health. She revealed that the most affected were children because these snacks were sold at schools. Unlike in supermarkets around town where inspectors do random raids, this does not happen at spaza shops and children do not check whether the food is expired or not as it is repacked in plastics that are not labelled.

Zwane highlighted parallels in Eswatini, warning that many of the snacks consumed by children are potentially hazardous. She warned that generally, processed foods are not healthy to consume as they are known to contain chemicals in larger quantities than normal.  “There is no control of what type of snacks are entering the country or being sold to children,” she said. Zwane further added that: “These snacks are dangerous and, in the long run, have devastating health impacts.”

She explained that processed snacks not only promote poor eating habits but also lead to obesity, loss of appetite for nutritious meals, and other health complications. “The problem is particularly prevalent in schools, where children are buying snacks that have not been assessed for their nutritional value,” she said. Also, Zwane revealed that an observation by the Eswatini Nutrition Council suggests that many children had fallen ill and that this was linked to eating of the crispy snacks.

She was then asked if there were any fatalities linked to consumption of the snacks in the country. However, Zwane noted that linking fatalities directly to snacks is challenging. “Illnesses due to these snacks are not uncommon, but it is difficult to ascertain if fatalities have occurred because such cases may not be reported as directly linked to food consumption,” she explained.

A major concern raised by Zwane was the sale of expired snacks, which she said could easily kill a child. She explained that chemicals used in the processing of these foods could become toxic once the products expire, posing significant risks to children’s health. “Expired snacks are extremely dangerous and can easily kill children,” she emphasised. Zwane then revealed that during a recent workshop, she urged parents to take a stand by monitoring what their children consumed while at school. She said parents should advocate the banning of the sale of snacks to children as they were not safe.

She then emphasised the need for stricter enforcement of food safety regulations. Zwane said as an organisation, they were advocating for a law which would ensure strict control of the food entering the country. She warned that currently, there was no check of what was entering the country in terms of whether it was safe for consumption.Meanwhile, the Mbabane City Council raided 15 shops and removed unhealthy food items. The Times of Eswatini News reported that 2 840 kilogrammes of unhealthy food items were confiscated from outlets within the city, during an impromptu raid on Tuesday.The food items are said to have been found in 15 shops across the streets in the capital city. This exercise was part of the Mbabane Food Safety Awareness Week 2024. The operation was jointly done with representatives from the Competition Commission, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade.

  Eswatini Dairy Board, Inspectorate Team and the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS).  Among the confiscated food items were a large number of   big bags of crispy snacks which are usually repackaged and sold to children at spazas and outside school vendors.

....The impact on children

MBABANE – According to Zwane, the widespread availability of unhealthy snacks is eroding children’s eating habits in Eswatini.

“These snacks cause children to lose their appetite for nutritious meals,” she said.Zwane then stressed that parents, schools, and communities must also take responsibility. “We need a collective effort to protect our children. This is not just a health issue but a matter of safeguarding the future of our country,” she said.The recent events in South Africa underscore the importance of vigilance and proactive measures. By learning from their experience and addressing local risks, Eswatini can prevent a similar tragedy and ensure a healthier environment for its children.

On Thursday, the Times of Eswatini News reported that consumers were calling for stricter penalties for businesses found to be selling expired or damaged goods. The Eswatini Consumers Association (ECA) Chairperson Bongani Mdluli was quoted as saying that the public should be vigilant when purchasing goods, especially during the festive season. The Ministry of Health, through the Communications Officer Nsindiso Tsabedze commended the Mbabane City Council and stakeholders for the operation. He also said the Ministry was committed to conducting regular inspections so that food safety standards were maintained.

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