Home Travel News

No more junk food! Vanuatu province tosses out the M&Ms

Travellers visiting parts of Vanuatu may struggle to satisfy their sweet tooth as local leaders institute a ban on western junk food.

Travellers visiting parts of Vanuatu may struggle to satisfy their sweet tooth as local leaders institute a ban on western junk food.

 

Hotels mini bars and anywhere currently selling western treats in the northern Torba province will be stripped of their candy bars, cookies and lollies in a bid to encourage healthy eating among locals.

That means no more post-room service treats like M&Ms from the hotel mini-bar.

M&Ms

Piqued your interest?

Instead visitors can enjoy locally grown, organic crops such as fresh pineapple, paw paw and sweet potato, The Guardian reported.

According to Torba’s community leader, Father Luc Dini, the commitment to healthier lifestyles comes after seeing how sugary treats have affected other islands.

“In other provinces that have adopted western diets you see pretty young girls, but when they smile they have rotten teeth because the sugar has broken down their teeth.”

Father Luc Dini

“We don’t want that to happen here and we don’t want to develop the illnesses that come with a western junk food diet.”

Vanuatu Torba

Image: Santo.travel

He continued, saying local leaders are also hoping to prevent locals from developing illnesses that are often associated with western junk food.

Once the terms of the ban are in place, Torba will be on its way to becoming Vanuatu’s first fully organic province by 2020.

What are your thoughts on the ban?