Sporting clubs, parents bench oranges, choose lollies instead

Half-time oranges are a long-standing kids' sports tradition - but some clubs and parents are moving to ban the popular snack.

Many South Australian sporting clubs want to ban the fruit over fears high levels of acid are bad for children's teeth.

The West Adelaide Soccer Club is one such group accepting the move, with chairman Alex Alexandrou saying the push came predominantly from parents.

"It's something that seems to have evolved from parents talking to other parents and saying, 'Look, let's not go the oranges, let's give the kids a sugar hit'," he said.

The popular pick-me-up has been replaced by a controversial alternative - lollies.

The theories behind the ban vary, from rumours that oranges cause tummy troubles, to lollies helping kids perform better, to concerns citrus can damage kids' teeth.

Dehydration concerns

According to dentists, it's not the orange itself that is bad for teeth, but the dehydration that comes with it.

"When you're dehydrated, the level of saliva goes down considerably, so the concern is that saliva won't actually be able to come through and repair the surface of the tooth," dentist Dr George Mandranis said.

Mandranis says it's all about how often children are eating oranges when parched.

"If we're doing this once a week, that's not a big concern," he said.

"But if they're constantly dehydrated, and constantly exposing our teeth to oranges, that's where it's of concern."

For parents concerned about acidity, Mandranis says fruits such as bananas or watermelon might be a better solution.

Originally published as: Oranges banned from some kids' sporting clubs and lollies offered instead