A council in Melbourne’s south east is hoping to ‘phase out’ built-in deep fryers at community canteens

Sporting clubs are spitting chips after a Melbourne council‘s decision to crackdown on a favourite canteen staple in favour of healthier eating.

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Local sporting clubs are boiling mad over a planned crackdown on the use of deep fryers in canteens across Melbourne’s suburbs.

The City of Greater Dandenong will “phase out” built-in deep fryers in canteens and kitchens in a push to “promote healthier food and drink options in community settings”.

Clubs are spitting chips after being banned from using freestanding benchtop deep fryers and have been encouraged to use air fryers instead.

While the equipment itself is banned, fried food remains available as the council understands its commodity.

Ricky Logan, president of stand-alone Southern league Thirds club Sandown Cobras, said turning a profit in the canteen as a one-team club was already difficult enough without restrictions.

“With the food offerings we have, it’s hard enough to turn a profit now let alone after switching to healthier and more expensive options,” he said.

“It’s about quick and convenient food, and making it easier for volunteers, we are struggling for volunteers as it is, most weeks we have one person in there running it themselves, so we need quick and easy stuff to make.

“Nobody goes to the footy to get a salad roll, do they?”

Dandenong Football Club president Matthew McCabe said the adjustment would definitely make an impact, potentially eating into club profits while increasing the workload on already stretched volunteers.

“It definitely will make an impact, we sell chips, dim sims, things like that we sell a lot of it when it’s a cold day,” he said.

“Having to potentially move away from all that could have a negative impact initially, I do see that we would be able to implement other avenues of cooking like air fryers.

“It would definitely slow it down, we would have to look at canteen workers starting a lot sooner than normal.

“It’s not ideal but you take what’s thrown at you.”

Healthier eating at local sport is on the agenda.

City of Greater Dandenong Mayor Eden Foster explained how the motion had been implemented to encourage safety and healthier eating.

“Built-in oil fryers are gradually being phased out of Council‘s facilities as they are being upgraded in line with the Victorian Government’s Healthy Choices in Sport and Recreation Facilities Guidelines,” she said.

“These guidelines provide a framework for improving the availability and promotion of healthier food and drink options in community settings, including at sports clubs.

“Kitchens with built-in deep fryers can be used by clubs; however freestanding benchtop deep fryers pose a safety risk to our community as they do not come with required exhaust fans nor grease traps, so cannot be used.

“This is a Council requirement within all sports clubs‘ pavilion hire agreements.

“Clubs that wish to sell fried food from kitchens that do not have a built-in deep fryer are advised to use air fryers instead, which is a healthier option and can be safely used on a kitchen benchtop.

“Council recognises that canteens provide an important source of revenue for sports clubs and therefore fried foods are not banned.

“We are always available to assist clubs to review and improve their canteen menus to provide healthier options in partnership with Monash Health and the Vic Kids Eat Well program. Council can also help clubs to identify appropriate benchtop air fryers.”

The vice president of Council Watch, Dean Hurlston, accused the council of being out of touch with the demands on sporting groups.

“Whether they like it or not, those sporting groups rely on volunteer staff and funds from the sale of fried food,” he said.

“They should be supporting their young sports club members, rather than preaching to them about how to live their lives.

“The fire risks (from deep fryers) are clearly overstated and fanciful.”

Mr Hurlston said the council could not realistically blame the state government’s healthy eating guidelines for its decision.

“They’re just guidelines.”
A State Government spokesperson said it was a matter for the council.

The City of Greater Dandenong has more than 100 sporting clubs across 30 sporting reserves.