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#YouthMonth2021: Addressing food insecurity in higher education

25 June 2021 | Story Xolisa Mnukwa | Photo Supplied

Food insecurity 1_web read more — UFS Food Environment Office - Improving student well-being through collaborative food provisioning initiatives.

Food insecurity plagues students across universities worldwide, and the University of the Free State (UFS) is not exempt from this plight, with research findings indicating that more than 64% of students at the university go through periods of hunger each year.

In conjunction with national Youth Month this year, the UFS reflects on the initiatives established by the university to address food insecurity across the Bloemfontein, South, and Qwaqwa campuses to help care for and support young people for the duration of their academic careers.

UFS Food Environment Office

Annelize Visagie from the Division of Student Affairs (DSA), who is heading the Food Environment Office at the UFS, stated that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed with Tiger Brands and Gift of the Givers last year to sponsor food parcels to students who do not have bursaries every month. Visagie further explained that UFS staff members are working hard to implement initiatives and obtain sponsorships – such as the one with Tiger Brands and Gift of the Givers – as well as food donations to ensure that students do not go hungry.

In a study that Visagie conducted in 2019 with first-year students as the focus, it was found that academic performance declines and coping mechanisms increase as the severity of food insecurity increases.

“Students use different coping mechanisms, with an alarming 40,6% of them resorting to fasting as an excuse to friends for not having food. Sixty percent of them skip meals because they do not have enough money, and 43,2% of them are too embarrassed to ask for help,” explained Visagie.

Various factors contribute to this scenario, with the main reason being that most students come from impoverished economic and social circumstances. This suggests that although students may receive NSFAS funding or any other bursary, it is not a guarantee that they are food secure.

UFS Food Insecurity Support initiatives

There are many students who lack adequate financial support to sustain them through their academic careers at university.

The UFS No Student Hungry (NSH) Programme under the UFS Division of Student Affairs (DSA) provides students in need with modest food allowances and daily access to one balanced meal. Students are selected in terms of financial need, participation in student life, and a commitment to giving back to the community. The programme allows students to focus on their studies without worrying about their next meal – increasing their chances to excel academically and ultimately obtain their degrees.

According to Dr WP Wahl, Head of Student Life in the DSA, the division encourages innovation to meet the challenges of food insecurity and malnutrition among students. Several student volunteers and student governance structures are collaborating with the DSA on various initiatives.

Students from residences and other student communities have planted vegetable gardens on the Bloemfontein Campus with the assistance of KovsieACT and the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, where students and staff continuously harvest and distribute vegetables to needy students on a weekly basis. The construction of these gardens was financed by a collaboration with Tiger Brands and Siyakhana Food Gardens, who have assisted with the training of students and consultation throughout the project.

The continuation of the food parcel project and other support initiatives facilitated by the Food Environment Office thrive through collaborations with businesses, NPOs, UFS students, and DSA staff to address food insecurity and malnutrition among students. Staff and students are encouraged to contribute by also collecting non-perishable food items for the UFS Food Environment Office.

To apply for support, or to contribute, contact the Food Environment Office or Annelize Visagie

T: +27 51 401 3258

E: VisagieA@ufs.ac.za

News Archive

UFS to investigate implementation of quality-monitoring system for SA food industry

2006-02-07

Some of the guests who attended the workshop were from the left Prof James du Preez (Chairperson: Department of Biotechnology at the UFS); Prof Lodewyk Kock (Head: South African Fryer Oil Initiative (SAFOI) at the UFS)); Mrs Ina Wilken (Chairperson: South African National Consumer Union (SANCU)); Prof Herman van Schalkwyk (Dean: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the UFS) and Mr Joe Hanekom (Managing Director of Agri Inspec).
Photo: Stephen Collet

UFS to investigate implementation of quality-monitoring system for SA food industry

The University of the Free State (UFS) will be investigating the implementation of a quality-monitoring service for the South African food industry.

This was decided during a workshop to discuss the external quality monitoring in the edible oil industry of South Africa, which was recently held at the UFS.

Major role players in the fast-food sector like Nando's, Spur, Captain
Dorego's, King Pie Holdings, Black Steer Holdings, etc and various oil
distributors like Felda Bridge Africa, Refill Oils, PSS Oils and Ilanga Oils attended
the workshop. Also present was Mrs Ina Wilken, Chairperson of the South African National Consumer Union (SANCU) and key-note speaker of this workshop. She represented the consumer.

These role players all pledged their support to the implementation of this quality- monitoring system for the whole food industry.

The decision to implement this system follows the various malpractices reported in the press and on TV concerning food adulteration (eg the recent Sudan Red Scare), misrepresentation (eg olive oil scandal exposed in 2001) and the misuse of edible frying oils by the fast-food sector.

“One of the basic rights of consumers is the right to safe food. Consumers must be protected against foods and food production processes which are hazardous to their health. Sufficient guarantee of the safety of all food products and food production processes should be implemented. It does not help to have adequate food standards and legislation and there is no manpower to do the necessary investigation or monitoring,” said Mrs Wilken.

The South African Fryer Oil Initiative (SAFOI), under the auspices of the UFS Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology, currently monitors edible oils in the food industry and makes a seal of quality available to food distributors.

“Last week’s decision to implement the quality-monitoring system implies that we will now be involving also other departments in the UFS Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences who are involved in various aspects of the food chain in an endeavor to implement this quality monitoring system,” said Prof Herman van Schalkwyk, Dean: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the UFS and one of the main speakers at the workshop.

Prof van Schalkwyk said that the main aim of such a system will be to improve the competitiveness of the South African food industry. “It is clear that the role players attending the workshop are serious about consumer service and that they agree that fraudulent practice should be monitored and corrected as far as possible. Although some of the food outlets have the capacity to monitor the quality of their food, it may not seem to the consumer that this is an objective process. The proposed external monitoring system would counteract this perception amongst consumers,” said Prof van Schalkwyk.

The workshop was also attended by representatives from SAFOI and Agri Inspec, a forensic investigation company collaborating with inter-state and government structures to combat fraud and international trade irregularities.

Agri Inspec has been working closely with SAFOI for a number of years to test the content of edible oils and fats. “Extensive monitoring and control actions have been executed in the edible oil industry during the past four years to ensure that the content and labeling of oil products are correct. Four years ago almost 90% of the samples taken indicated that the content differed from what is indicated on the label. This has changed and the test results currently show that 90% of the products tested are in order. However, to maintain this quality standard, it is necessary that quality monitoring and educational campaigns are continuously performed,” said Mr Joe Hanekom, Managing Director of Agri Inspec.

“The seal of quality presented by SAFOI should also be extended to include all the smaller oil containers used by households,” Mrs Wilken said.

The SAFOI seal of quality is currently displayed mainly on some oil brands packed in bigger 20 liter containers, which include sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, palm oil etc which are used by restaurants and fast food outlets. “Any oil type is eligible to display the seal when meeting certain standards of authenticity. In order to display the seal, the distributor must send a sample of each oil batch they receive from the manufacturer to SAFOI for testing for authenticity, ie that the container’s content matches the oil type described on the label. This is again double checked by Agri Inspec, which also draws samples countrywide from these certified brands from the end-user (restaurant or fast food outlets). If in breach, the seal must be removed from the faulty containers,” said Prof Lodewyk Kock, Head of SAFOI.

“It should however be taken into account that oils without a seal of quality from the UFS can still be of high quality and authentic. Other external laboratories equipped to perform effective authenticity tests may also be used in this respect,” said Prof Kock.

“It is also important to realise that any oil type of quality such as sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, palm oil etc can be used with great success in well controlled frying processes,” he said.

Further discussions will also be held with the Department of Health, the SA National Consumer Union and Agri Inspec to determine priority areas and to develop the most effective low-cost monitoring system.

More information on the UFS oil seal of quality and oil use can be obtained at www.uovs.ac.za/myoilguide

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
6 February 2006

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