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t_Articles
t_Articles
W elcome
to the August edition of AFICNews.
AFICNews is a free monthly e-bulletin, providing updates on current food safety,
health and nutrition news trends around the Asia Pacific region. If you are not
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Dates
for Your Diary
|
Date |
Events |
|
September 9-13, 200 |
10th
Asian Congress of Nutrition, Taipei, Taiwan,
http://www.2007acn.org.tw/
|
|
September 12-13, 2007 |
China
International Food Safety and Quality
Conference & Expo,
Beijing
http://www.chinafoodsafety.com/
|
|
September 30, 2007 |
World
Heart Day 2007, Theme ‘Team Up for Healthy Hearts!’
http://www.worldheart.org/awareness-whd.php |
|
November 14, 2007 |
World Diabetes Day 2007,
Theme ‘Diabetes in Children and Adolescents’
http://www.worlddiabetesday.org/ |
New
from AFIC
Check out
AFIC’s latest press release,
‘World Heart Day 2007 – Team Up for Healthy
Hearts’ in
English,
ภาษาไทย,
中文.
Food
in the News: Most Frequently Reported Food Safety and Nutrition Topics
in
Daily Press and Newswires around the Asian Region
May-July 2007 Compared to February-April 2007
Note:
These
figures are based on simple counting method of topic headings and do not allow
for differences in length or depth of articles.
Comments
on Most Frequently Reported Topics
Food
Safety – Chemical
(14% total
of tracked coverage)
A
substantial rise in press reporting both in the Asia region and internationally
began with the news of melamine-adulterated pet food ingredients exported from
China to the US. Further reports of food safety concerns, sustained public
interest and culminated in US-China agreement to negotiate bilateral food safety
standards, traceability and accountability systems. Other food safety issues
that gained media attention during the period were food colours; benzene (an
unintentional by-product of preservative sodium benzoate); bioaccumulation of
trace contaminants. In all instances, the trigger for Asian press pick up
originated from international sources. Traceability systems are playing an
increasingly critical role in some of these international issues, although this
may not always be apparent to outside observers. For more information on how
traceability works and why it is increasingly viewed as essential to food trade
and food safety, click on AFIC’s information resource, Traceability Technology,
A Boost for Food Safety in
English ,
ภาษาไทย
or
中文.
Zoonotic
Disease & Animal Health
(13% total
of tracked coverage)
Although
tracked media coverage fell in Q2, compared to Q1, the topic still remains one
of the most frequently reported. New
updates in the poultry sector, are still heavily impacted by avian flu,
and included human cases of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian flu in Indonesia, Viet
Nam, China, and outbreaks in poultry in many countries in Asia, as well as
Europe. Active media interest in N America beef imports resuming in
Indonesia, Taiwan and S Korea (although more recently S Korea reversed this
decision).
Pork
also became a topic of greater public interest as supplies diminished and prices
rose because of blue ear disease, Streptococcus suis and differences between US
and Asia drug residue tolerance standards.
For more
information on the role of animal products, including meat in a healthy balanced
diet, see AFIC’s ‘A Question of Balance’ in
English ,
ภาษาไทย
or
中文.
Children’s
Diet & Health
(8% total of
tracked coverage)
Significant
increase in coverage in Q2, compared to Q1, largely due reporting of research
and policy discussions on addressing rising rates of childhood obesity. Local
initiatives, such as China’s efforts to encourage physical activity amongst
school children and in Malaysia, S Korea, Thailand, development of nutritional
guidelines for school meals and foods permitted to be marketed or sold close to
school premises have featured prominently. Also, international developments,
such as the launch in the US of voluntary code of conduct of food marketing to
children and research examining the impact of TV viewing on food consumption
have also been popular with the international and the regional local press.
AFIC’s recent media workshop in China highlighted scientific insights into
promotion of healthful eating and lifestyles for children, see AFIC’s latest
press release ‘What Gifts for Our Children?’ in
English,
ภาษาไทย,
中文.
Biotechnology
(7% total of tracked coverage)
In Thailand,
India, Viet Nam and the Philippines, government announcements on policy efforts
to progress agricultural biotechnology opportunities were all reported in local
press. A shift in EU policy to end the moratorium on biotechnology testing was
also reported by Asian media outlets. Plans for labeling policy changes in S
Korea and Malaysia stimulated some media interest. In China, there was limited
coverage of campaign groups’ criticisms of government policy. An interesting
survey of consumer attitudes to food biotechnology in Taiwan, released during
Q2, found attitudes were mainly influenced by trust in responsible institutions,
perceived benefits, and knowledge levels.
For more
information on
AFIC’s surveys of consumer attitudes to
biotechnology foods click on this link.
Food
Labeling/Regulations
(6% total of
tracked coverage)
This is a
topic of growing importance as regulatory authorities and the food industry seek
to extend consumer information opportunities. Nutrition information is becoming
increasingly more common, and was a major trigger for news stories during Q2.
News covered
during the period included, strengthening of regulatory frameworks and controls
on health claims in Malaysia, China, Australia and the EU; the implementation of
labeling for presence of common allergens in Hong Kong; the postponement of the
implementation of nutrition labeling in India, and continuing development of
front of pack signposting in Thailand, Malaysia, S Korea. A number of countries
in Asia are also currently reviewing trans fat labeling. For more information on
nutrition information on packaging, based on AFIC’s own consumer research click
on AFIC’s article, ‘Nutrition Information – What to make of it? in
English ,
ภาษาไทย
or
中文.
Overweight/Obesity/Weight
Control
(6% total of
tracked coverage)
In contract
to public interest in childhood overweight which tends to focus mainly on the
role of external environment, the focus for adult overweight tends to be a more
mixed interest in the role of both environmental and physiological factors in
rising rates of overweight and obesity. During Q2, physiological factors which
gained media interest included the conclusions of the Cochrane Library that low
glycemic index diets were most effective in preventing weight gain; research
insights into the hormonal control of appetite including those involved in the
body’s response to stress and sleep. Environmental factors highlighted in the
press included, TV viewing, impact of relationships (described as ‘socially
contagious’ obesity) and the role of nutrition labeling in consumer’s food
consumption choices. For more information on appetite control, check out AFIC’s
‘Appetite – Learning to Stay in Charge
http://afic.org/WMWS/appetite.shtml.
The Asian Food information Centre
is a not-for profit Singapore-registered organization Its mission is to
effectively communicate sound science based information on food safety, health
and nutrition to the media and other key audiences in Asia.
For more information or journalist enquiries, email
info@afic.org .
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