Border Detainees Are Fed 'Appalling' Menu of Slimy Sandwiches and Unhealthy Ramen
Immigrants housed in a federal detention center in Texas were fed frozen sandwiches, cold burritos and potato chips, and detained children and young mothers have complained of hunger to visiting attorneys.
Details gleaned from government procurement data reflect what a nutritionist and two doctors described as a highly processed, unhealthy menu for families held in five detention centers operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Texas. Breakfasts consist mostly of cereal bars, lunches of ramen noodles or bologna sandwiches and dinners of microwaveable burritos and chimichangas. Some healthier items, like oatmeal, applesauce and peanut butter, are also listed – but in much lower quantities.
The choice of foods is “appalling,” said Rafael Perez-Escamilla, a professor of epidemiology and public health at the Yale School of Public Health who has served on advisory panels related to the U.S. Federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Not only does the menu not meet those guidelines, but it also represents exactly the sort of diet that “has been associated with obesity, poor dental health and chronic diseases such as diabetes,’’ he said.
Concerns about the treatment of immigrants in detention have flared repeatedly during President Donald Trump’s administration – driven in part by the administration’s “zero tolerance’’ policy that included separating immigrant parents and children at the border. Even though Trump declared an end to that practice last year, immigrant advocates say officials are still separating children.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-28/slimy-sandwiches-unhealthy-ramen-on-appalling-detainee-menu?utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&cmpid%3D=socialflow-twitter-politics&utm_medium=social&utm_content=politics&utm_source=twitter
