France bans ketchup in schools, because it's "too American" [Debunked!]

What comes around, goes around?

The lunches of French children have just gotten a lot blander. In an effort to fight against obesity and to keep the French youth, well, French, France's government has essentially banned ketchup from primary and secondary school cafeterias. The all-American condiment will be rationed to children only when they are served with, what else, French fries.

The Times reports that ketchup is being rationed in order to "ensure that French children remain French," as lately they have been eschewing their own country's Gallic fare in favor of "US-style snacks." Of course, the ban also helps to promote healthful eating. By giving out ketchup only when it is absolutely called for and in carefully measured amounts, the French hope to stop children from slathering buckets of the sugary condiment onto every bite. "France must be an example to the world in the quality of its food, starting with its children," agriculture and food minister Bruno Le Maire told the press.

The New York Daily News reports that the new school food policy will also extend to the restriction of salt and other sauces such as mayonnaise and salad dressings. Self-serve condiment stations will be a thing of the past, allowing for France to have ultimate portion control over its children. French fries and other fried food like chicken nuggets will be served only once a week, but France's famous crusty baguettes will be available daily. School meals will also be required to include a dairy product as well as fruits and vegetables.

What do you think? Should the U.S. follow suit? Or should we leave the seasoning of kids' food up to the kids?

I have a problem against the government banning "unhealthy" foods in the first place (it's ok to not offer certain foods in school, but it's not ok to ban kids from bringing food from home), but really, they're banning ketchup because it's too American? Unless served once a week with French fries? Reminds me of the idiotic "Freedom Fries" nonsense we were going through back in 2003 and 2004.


Updated title with info from our Francophone friends.

 

I support this action by the French government.

 

It puts the mayonnaise on its pommes frites or else it gets the hose again.

 

"Too American" isn't the same thing as "not French". Don't think you're special. The French are all about banning or otherwise limiting stuff that isn't French. This isn't new. They're super insecure. I mean, what other country refuses to speak English at the Eurovision song contest? Huh? HUH!?

 

I don't like ketchup on my fries anyway....it overpowers the taste of the potatoes.

 

It's not because it's "too American." How on earth did you get that?

 

Hey, Vivec. It's in the second paragraph, starting with "To keep French kids, well, French..."

I had a friend who put blue cheese dressing on her french fries.

 

This sounds less like "Oh those wacky French with their cultural phobias" and more like a generalized crackdown on condiments and unhealthy foods.

 

I thought I read some time ago that tomato ketchup and cooked tomatoes generally, were supposed to help combat cancer?

 

France, like most of Europe, fears becoming Americanised the way the UK has been. Not to mention the fact that the fast food culture is very unhealthy, the european native diets are generally much healthier and should be encouraged.

France does a lot of things the rest of the world should be aiming to copy, such as healthcare and being 75% nuclear powered.

 

Your 1st paragraph: I understand this view and agree with it mostly. (I like some fast food now and then)

Your second paragraph: No.

 

Tomatoes contain a pigment called lycopene, which is related to the carotene found in carrots. IIRC, there is evidence that lycopene might protect against prostate cancer. However, ketchup is loaded with sugar so a much healthier source of lycopene is obviously, fresh tomatoes or even marinara sauce.

 

It should be noted that 'french' fries are not even French.

Nuclear power has its drawbacks as well as its benefits.

 

they hate us for our freedom

 

You dislike quality healthcare and efficient green energy?

 

I think that it is perfectly fine for governments to promote policies in order to preserve their own culture. Yeah, it's annoying and a rule that many won't want to follow, but I would like to point out that ketchup sucks.

 

The way The Times reported it, it sounds like a fair mix of both.

Like ketchup and mayo. Mmmmm.

'Cors, The Times is Murdoch.

 

Ketchup sucks?
[image=http://www.scenicreflections.com/files/Emu_Face_Wallpaper_iscr.jpg]
...




[image=http://images.cheezburger.com/completestore/2010/2/23/129114225472809918.jpg]

 

arlon, defender of ketchup.

[image=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v194/jaepee/cats1.gif]

 

Ugh, I'm tired of this story being circulated around the Internet. Apparently the original story got picked up by the English language tabloids, whose researchers obviously can't understand French that well.

France hasn't banned ketchup in schools. It has decided to remove the self-service condiment stations (pumps of ketchup, mayonnaise, etc.) and instead have the condiments served directly with the dish by the lunch servers. This prevents students from pumping out gallons of ketchup or mayo unnecessarily.

It seems that the only dish that the ketchup will be served with is French fries, which makes perfect sense. Ketchup is not a particularly popular condiment in France and fries are about the only thing that people use it on (due to the influence of McDonald's). Even then, most French people prefer mayonnaise with their fries.

When I worked in a French school, I'm pretty sure they didn't even have ketchup in the cafeteria. It's just not that popular.

I have no idea where they got that line, "ensure that French children remain French." I don't see anything that ridiculous in the original French news stories.

 

Michelle Obama has gotten to the French, too!

 

There are so many racist jokes I want to make in this thread, but I don't want an edit

 

I'm sure the white, wealthy, powerful European country can handle it.