Posted on 05/10/2006 3:28:04 AM PDT by freepatriot32
Those familiar jingles could be a thing of the past if a health campaign succeeds
FOR 60 years the tinny jingle of Greensleeves that announced the arrival of the ice-cream van has been an indelible memory of childhood, but that sound may soon be removed from suburban streets. Health lobbyists have decided that ice-creams are too much of a danger to children’s health.
MPs and health officials are planning a series of measures across the country that are already forcing Mr Whippy and his helpers into meltdown.
Under an amendment to the Education and Inspection Bill to be put forward this week, local authorities will be given new powers to stop ice-cream vans from operating near school gates. The move comes as operators claim that they are already being forced out of business by an over-zealous health lobby.
Local authorities have in recent weeks banned ice-cream vans from using pay-and-display parking spaces and set up “ice-cream-free”exclusion zones around busy shopping streets. Newham council, in east London, informed vendors last month that it would fine van owners up to £80 if they used pay-and-display bays. Greenwich council, in southeast London, has banned the vans from its streets altogether, while in Scotland, West Dunbartonshire council has introduced an exclusion zone around schools for vans.
Mark Gossage, the director of Ice Cream Alliance that represented 20,000 van owners in the 1960s and now has 700 members, said that many of his members can no longer make a living. “Many schools have already stopped arrangements for vans to sell to pupils,” he said. “They are wiping us out.”
There are about 5,000 ice-cream vans in Britain. In times gone by they would have parked at the side of most roads; but times have changed. The amendment would grant local authorities the power to ban ice-cream vans from parking near schools.
One dietitian told The Times that a ban on ice-cream vans near schools would be a draconian policy that may drive children to buy even less healthy foods at nearby shops.
Catherine Collins, the chief dietitian at St George’s Hospital, Tooting, south London, said: “This is the kind of blanket ban that gives the health lobby a bad name. A healthy diet can factor in a sugary treat such as an ice-cream. It is the frequency of that treat that is an issue. Most choices from an ice-cream van would provide fewer calories and fat compared to a free choice from a newsagent.”
Horse-drawn vans selling flavoured ices were first seen on cobbled streets in the 19th century. Motorised vans followed in the 1950s, selling hard, scooped or soft ice-cream.
By the 1980s the business had become so lucrative that gangs fought over the right to sell to certain streets. In 1984 a row between Glasgow-based gangs led to the murder of six members of the Doyle family, who had run the Marchetti ice-cream company. The sector has since declined because of the availability of ice-creams from shops and garages. The few vendors left said last week they would be out of business if the amendment was passed.
John Barrowclough, whose Iced Treats van stops outside schools around Wolverhampton, said he had been forced to sell one of his two vans. because of a clampdown.
“We sell a lot of ice-creams near schools,” he said. “Of course no one wants to see fat kids, but most children have an ice-cream once a week, not every day.”
Sefer Huseyin, whose family have run Five Star Catering ice-cream vans in Camberwell, southeast London, since the 1960s, said that his vans had been banned from schools. “Telling vendors they are not allowed near schools is the wrong message,” he said. “They have been going there for years and their livelihood is being taken away from them.”
However, the amendment is supported by some health campaigners. Chris Waterman, the executive director of the Confederation of Education and Children’s Services Managers, said ice-cream vans should be restricted. “There are millions going into healthy food in schools, yet kids are rushing to spend their money on food from mobile vans,” he said.
“The ice-cream van industry may be saying it is in meltdown but for the sake of our children’s health and safety we should keep the icons at Bournemouth and Blackpool but stop them driving around schools.”
TREAT OR HEALTH HAZARD?
A large single ice cream cone contains about 139 calories and 6g of fat. A chocolate Flake adds about 100 calories and another 6g of fat
Many ice-creams and iced lollies in wrappings contain between 40-100 calories. A Mars Bar contains nearly 300 calories
A serving of rich vanilla ice cream will typically contain 90ml milk, 90ml double cream or whipping cream, a vanilla pod, an egg yolk and 25g of caster sugar
Some soft ice cream sold on the streets can contain saturated vegetable fat, sugar, milk powder, artificial flavourings and additives including E407 and E122.
Toppings are usually a mix of glucose syrup, additives, synthetic flavourings, artificial sweeteners and preservatives
Depending on whom you believe, “99s” were first made by Cadbury’s in the 1930s as a tribute to the King of Italy’s bodyguard, traditionally composed of 99 troops; or a tribute by Italian café owners to Il Ragazzi del 99, a band of soldiers who fought in the Battle of the Piave River in the First World War; or named after the address of the Edinburgh-based Arcari ice-cream dynasty at 99 Portobello High Street
The two most popular ice cream van jingles today are O Solo Mio by Eduardo Di Capua — popularly known as the Cornetto theme — and Greensleeves
Yeah but I think these anti ice cream health nazis(siamese twins of the anti smoking nazis) are very soon going to find out that these same children are soon to be an extreme danger to the health lobbyists shins if the children see them on the street after they ban ice cream vans.
While we are on the subject of bad for health these nanny state do gooders that are so intent on banning everything but bean turds and tofu are ticking me off so much im getting an ulcer and ulcers can kill people if left untreated. Can we now have all those health nazis banned for being a danger to the public health?
It's not the ice cream that is dangerous. The danger is having the kids sit in front of the TV or computer for 4-6 hours a day.
libertarians/nanny state ping if any of you have any malox please send it my way. i would go to the store myself but im to busy smoking,drinking,eating chocolate icecream and moawing down raw cookie dough and medium rare hamburgers (with bacon) to get off my couch right now
ping thought you might be interested in this
I guess they'll just ignore the fact that there is protein and calcium in ice cream as well.
Fruit is high in sugars so should that be banned as well?
Idiocy. Dangerous idiocy.
Hey, folks, give them a break.
I mean, they banned heroin and people don't use it anymore, right?
/sarc
Since when have liberals been anything BUT dangerous idiots?
One of my "guilty pleasures" is a daily bowl of ice cream. Not a huge one, but a bowl in any case.
It's not the consumption, it's the portion.
I agree with your post, however, inactivity is a contributor.
I have a 3 year old. She hasn't discovered the joy of veging (sp?) in front of the TV. I just can't keep her from climbing things (trees, furniture, etc). Hope she stays as active through her adolescence.
Well now my parents made that same wish when i was born and it came true. now they spend thier days curled up in a corner with their grey hair growing longer by the day mumbling to themsleves and twitching at random intervals :-)
So I think this is a good move.
They are not banning ice cream they are just removing them from outside school gates.
As an Adult if you want to fill your self with cr*p go for it.
But anything that helps us with the Children I am all for.
Incidentally my two children are a lot more behave since we switched from cola to smoothies as summer time drinks.
Is it the fact that it's "processed" or is it the sugar?
I eat whatever I want, whenever I want. (NOTE: if I do need to lose weight, I follow Atkins....easiest diet I ever had).
The only thing I keep doing (from Atkins) is that I only consume non-sugared beverages, which for a southerner is damn hard since I prevent myself from having sweet tea.
If kids are "hopped-up" on sugar (and caffeine), and sitting in a classroom with a teacher whose primary motivation is their union contract negotiations, I can't say I'm surprised their attention spans (and grades) suffer.
You say:
"But anything that helps us with the Children I am all for"
This is a very DANGEROUS attitude...one that is used by politicians (particularly Dems) to manipulate the public. This results in the situation in many cities where the public schools' per student cost is well above the cost of a decent private school education, and yet the students graduate as morons.
Remember, the most valuable thing a child can have is a loving (and married) biological Mother and Father (Female/Male...yeah, I said it). I speak from experience. I had no financial or social advantages growing up, but what I have are two parents who stayed together, and loved me (although I look back and think they may have spoiled me with attention a little too much). I am the first person in my Father's family to graduate college, and become moderately successful (through hard work, a value taught me by my family).
Your choice as an adult. But I met you did not eat that cr*p when you were in the rangers or had at least some food that would see you through, I remember taking a load of Marine recruits out on a nice sunny march, the idiots had filled there water bottles with soft drinks not water, LOL they did suffer good object lesson though
re :If kids are "hopped-up" on sugar (and caffeine), and sitting in a classroom with a teacher whose primary motivation is their union contract negotiations, I can't say I'm surprised their attention spans (and grades) suffer.
Most teachers I have met are very dedicated to the children, and it was the same teachers different diet that saw a marked improvement.
re :Remember, the most valuable thing a child can have is a loving (and married) biological Mother and Father
Never said it wasn't, but sometimes you have to deal with the world the way it is and not how you would like it.
And I have found that the children with the worst diet were the worst behaved.
Here is the real problem. The vans are competing with the government-granted monopoly. The Confederation of Education and Children's Services Managers are simply not going to stand for that. They make a very lucrative living off of being the goverment-subsidized provider or whatever slop they choose to provide. They are not going to let some upstart come in and muscle in on their territory by selling things (without subsidy!) that kids actually want.
Twenty years ago these territorial wars were solved with blackjacks and knives back in the alley. Nowadays the gangsters have the local Councils do their dirty work for them.
When my eight-year-old is watching TV, she can't hear the ice-cream truck until it is too late to stop it. So she plays outside, instead, where she can hear him coming from blocks away.
All in all, it's a fair trade, health wise. She gets a sweet treat, but she's out in God's sunshine all afternoon exercising it off.
So, do you really think the Confederation of Education and Children’s Services Managers is providing good, wholesome food to the kiddies with their government-granted monopoly?
Its all supply and demand. Cut the down on the amount of ice cream available, and the demand for dentists (beyond the 2 Britain already has) doesn't increase....
Not nearly as dangerous as spending 8 hours in a public school.
Unbelievable. I agree with what many have posted here. It is the sitting in front of the computer/tv that is contributing greatly to our kids problems. In addition it is some of the over protective stuff too, I remember being outside playing from dawn til dusk all over the neighborhood. The ice cream truck was where I spent my allowance, lol.
There is also the black market that will be created. Just think of all the ice cream pushing gangs that will pop up. Crime will go through the roof.
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