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Smart card the demise of junk food
Wires

OCTOBER 30, 2002 

A NEW smart card will give parents the tools to guide their children's 
school canteen choices, Children and Youth Affairs Minister Larry 
Anthony said.  

When swiped by canteen staff, the prepaid card brings up a photo-ID 
of the child and a list of foods they are banned from buying and any 
spending limits.  

The system also records the purchases made, allowing children to be 
rewarded for selecting healthier foods.  

The card would give parents more control over the food their children 
ordered from the school canteen and encourage students to develop 
healthy eating habits, Mr Anthony said.  

"It is difficult for parents to make sure their children are eating the 
right foods, especially when they aren't there to supervise," he said.  

"The Dairy Farmers' Smart Card will give parents the tools to guide 
their children's canteen choices."  

Mr Anthony said parents could deposit money into their child's smart 
card which would then be debited when the child ordered food.  

"The card holds information such as food parents have stipulated their 
child is not allowed to eat, food allergies and dietary conditions. 
Parents can also set a daily limit," he said.  

"We need to improve the eating habits of our kids because they have 
one of the highest rates of childhood obesity in the developed world.  

"One in five children are considered to be overweight and one in 10 
are considered obese."  

If this trend continued it would become a major problem, he said.  

The NSW Federation of Parents and Citizen's Associations said 
superficially the card appeared to be a good idea, particularly 
in relation to providing allergy information.  

However a spokesman said there were some concerns relating to 
the electronic surveillance of children.  

"It really is a case of parents having another technological means of 
monitoring their kids without taking an active role themselves," he said.  

"It certainly seems to be a case of Big Brother entering the school 
canteen."  

The smart card initiative was developed by the milk cooperative Dairy 
Farmers, in consultation with the Federation of Canteens in Schools, 
after Dairy Farmers was approached by a Sunshine Coast computer 
software company which developed the technology for pubs and clubs.  

AAP

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Source: Australian IT -
http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,5389856%5E15321
%5E%5Enbv%5E15306,00.html

Cheers, Steve..

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