(Editorial - Graphic Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

Never doubt the ability of a determined group of public school employees to accomplish their task, no matter how short the government-imposed timeline or how big the job. West Virginia was not the only state that moved to eliminate synthetic food dyes from school meals this year, but it had the earliest deadline — with the removal of Red 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1, Blue 2 and Green 3 set to take effect Aug. 1.

When the Associated Press decided to find out how we were doing — perhaps believing we would still be in scramble mode — Wood County Schools Food Service Director Hollie Best was able to report those dyes were already out of the school food supply in time for the summer session in July.

She did point out that Wood County was already working with a supplier that had removed artificial dyes from some foods and that only five more foods had to be removed from school menus.

Wood County was a little ahead of the game, then, but what about other districts? In Kanawha County, head of child nutrition and food services Diane Miller acknowledged that at first, “it was shocking. We began to realize that these dyes were in much more than just your cereals.”

For her district, approximately 10% of foods were affected. Still, they are eliminating those — and, as is often the case when dealing with a new law — making sure the change doesn’t actually do more harm than good to the kids. The search for substitute foods is a careful one.

“Because the last thing we need them to do is to choose not to participate in our school lunch program,” Miller said.

Across the state, meals provided by schools are often the healthiest of the day for students. Nationwide, approximately 30% of children have prediabetes. They consume not only synthetic food dyes but the other ingredients in ultra-processed foods along with added sugar, sodium and saturated fat. The number of children put at risk by such eating habits is even higher in West Virginia.

School food service leaders and their staff know that. They know the responsibility that falls on their shoulders comes not just from the government, but from their desire to do the best they can for our kids.

And, as they always do, they are getting the job done.