Marshmallow Fluff is a wonderful concoction of sugar, corn syrup, egg whites and vanilla that is whipped into a creamy and spreadable goo. It turns out that the tasty treat might join the list of foods banned from Massachusetts schools, despite the fact that the spread is a local icon, invented in the state back in 1917 and has been a popular New England pantry staple ever since.
It's most famous use is the Fluffernutter Sandwich, which combines peanut butter and Fluff between two slices of bread, and this is what is getting the sweet stuff into trouble. While parents have packed Fluffernutter sandwiches as special treats in kids' lunchboxes for many years, some parents recently noticed that they are being included as a school lunch option by the schools themselves - 1 out of every 14 schools, to be exact.
Iconic or not, some parents don't want this sandwich served at school and would like to see it banned from campuses.
They plan to get this done by using an amendment to a junk food bill that is heading through the legislature. The amendment was proposed by Democrat Jarrett T. Barrios, a very health-conscious man and father, who was "startled" when his 8 year old son (in 3rd grade) asked for a Fluffernutter at home.
This seems like a bit of an overreaction to the request of a young child, especially in a state where Fluffernutters are part of the history, but Barrios and his supporters stand firm in their position. Opponents, including the executive director of Action for Healthy Kids, a nonprofit group "that promotes good nutrition and physical activity in schools," say that there is no need to "call out" specific foods or brands in the bill and in addition, the school lunch program in Massachusetts is so strong, that a small amount of Fluff should not pose a nutritional threat to any of the students.
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