Slushie machine shut down at P.E.I. school

Kids at East Wiltshire school are now without a slushie machine — just a week after it arrived.

According to Principal Windsor Wight, the cafeteria contractor, Chartwells delivered the machine last week — but didn't consult him. The school is require to go along with health eating guidelines put out by the Public Schools Branch and Wight said he keeps on top of lunches at the school.

"It kind of flies in the face of what we're trying to do everyday as far as healthy lunches in the schools," Wight said. 

After they were installed Wight went to work talking to the contractor and other principals whose school received a machine, as well as parents and students. After not hearing back from Chartwells, he took matters into his own hands and closed the machine down, as it was causing problems with kids. 

Kids going overboard

"One, they were causing a lot of mess because they were lugging them. And the second that kids were coming to class and had had no lunch and what they had had was the slushie for lunch so teachers were saying it's just not working," he said.

He added that one student even got sick after lunch Friday afternoon, because she drank three slushies for lunch.

Wight was also concerned about the cost. At $2.25 for a 300 ml glass he said many kids were blowing all their lunch money. 

"So most kids in this school that are buying lunch would have four dollars so we work really hard to try and find something that's healthy and a good choice and filling for four dollars. So once you throw in $2.25 for the juice that doesn't leave much left."

Kids will miss the slush

But it does seem the kids will miss the sugary treats. 

"A lot of people had them and everybody was talking about them because it was the new craze, it was popular." said Student President Olivia Phillips. 

But in the end she thinks it was a good idea. 

"I think they'll miss it but I definitely think it's a good idea just because it's not a very healthy option for kids at our school."

Wight says he is open to keeping the machine for special occasions but not everyday use. 

Machines will be removed

P.E.I.'s Public Schools Branch said it is planning to remove the machines from the three schools that have them. Those are East Wiltshire Intermediate School, Stonepark Intermediate and Colonel Gray High School. The branch says they are working with the contractor to decide if the machines do meet the healthy food guidelines.

The contractor Chartwells said in an email that the machine in question is not the regular Slush Puppie machine, it's the Slush Puppie plus, which is made from de-acidified apple juice and was developed by the supplier for schools to help promote healthy eating programs and choices. 

"When installed, it was believed that the Slush Puppie plus offering met the current PEI School Nutrition policy based on the juice content," said the company. 

However, the company says, it has since been determined that the beverage is 99 per cent juice and the remaining 1 per cent is potassium and vitamins, citric acid, natural colour and flavours, and preservatives..

In its email to CBC, Chartwells wrote that the beverage is 1 gram over the 28 grams per 250 mL sugar limit currently set for juice. Because of this, Chartwells said it has stopped selling the beverage at this time.  

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