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t_Articles
t_Articles
W elcome
to the December 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
already subscribed, but would like your own monthly copy, please send a blank
email to
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Dates
for Your Diary
New
from AFIC
Check out for AFIC latest researches which were
presented at a global summit meeting of food information organizations on
“Progressing Food and Health Issues Management: East and West” held in Bangkok
on December 3-6: 'Food
safety – what should we worry about?', food safety, a key issue
to many of us given the number of “food scares” over recent years, and 'Freshness
and value most important for grocery shoppers in Bangkok',
grocery shoppers in Bangkok rank the freshness of food as the most important
factor in their grocery buying decisions.
Food
in the News:
Survey
of Nutrition and Food Safety Features in Malaysian Magazines
for
Sale in November 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
Children’s
Diet & Health (7%
of total
coverage)
Interest in children’s diet and health recorded a 1% increase compared to last
year. Most of the articles focus on a healthy well balanced diet allowing good
growth, increased immunity against certain diseases and optimal mental
performance. For more information about “Raising brighter kids with good
nutrition” follow the
link.
Supplements
(11%)
An important increase in coverage in this category is recorded compared to the
previous year. Anti-oxidants, vitamins and iron for general health, skin health
and happiness are all recommended. Quite some articles also quote the importance
of folic acid and vitamin B12 to reduce the risk of birth defects and
miscarriage.
Diabetes
& Diet (15%
of total
coverage)
In conjunction with the World Diabetes Day which did take place on November
14th, quite a number of magazines report on this topic in their November
edition. Most of the articles warn for the increasing number of diabetics
globally and in Malaysia in particular. Nutritional management of diabetes,
government intervention to increase the public awareness and the link between
obesity and diabetes are the most important issues covered. A number of articles
also report on the increasing rates of diabetes amongst children in the country.
Physical inactivity is cited as the most important cause for type-2 diabetes in
children. To know how much you are at risk for type 2 diabetes, complete AFIC’s
online self assessment by following the
link.
Healthy
eating & Lifestyle (15%)
The popularity of this topic decreased significantly compared to last year. All
diets described for a healthier life have the following in common: eat
sufficient fresh fruit and vegetables, have foods low in fat and low-GI
carbohydrates and exercise regularly. A number of diet tips also recommend
protein rich foods to increase energy levels and enhance satiety. To read more
about “A varied diet for better health” follow the
link.
F
unctional Foods
(27% of
total coverage)
Coverage in this area recorded a noticeable increase compared to 2006 and is
almost eight times higher compared to 2005. Focus is on foods rich in nutrients
which can help preventing diseases related to an unhealthy lifestyle such as
high blood pressure, diabetes and cardio vascular disease. Nutrients in the
spotlight are anti-oxidants and omega-3 fatty acids and the foods cited
containing these are fish, soy, cashew nuts, peanut butter and red/orange
coloured fruits and vegetables. A couple of articles highlight the health
benefits of pre- and pro-biotics. Foods boosting male and female fertility are
also a topic of interest, tomatoes rich in lycopene are recommended for men,
avocadoes rich in vitamins and anti-oxidants for women. To learn more about
probiotics and how they work read AFIC’s information resource on
"Probiotics-an Asian tradition".
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