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Welcome to the February 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 aficnews-subscribe@afic.org. If you do not wish to receive AFICNews, simply send a blank email to aficnews-unsubscribe@afic.org, and your name and address will be automatically removed from the list. In case of difficulties email info@afic.org with your request to subscribe or unsubscribe, and we can do the rest.

Dates for Your Diary

New from AFIC

Cancer causes 12% of all deaths globally and is the leading cause of death in many Asian countries. The types of cancer that are showing the most marked increase in Asian countries are those that have been linked to poor lifestyle choices. To increase the awareness of cancer and the actions we can take to reduce our risk, AFIC had launched a press release on the World Cancer Day on February 4th, 2008 – ‘Cancer – can we prevent it?’ in English and ภาษาไทย. 

Food in the News: Most Frequently Reported Food Safety and Nutrition Topics

in Daily Press and Newswires around the Asian Region

November 2007 – January 2008 (Q4) Compared to August-October 2007 (Q3)

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

Zoonotic Disease & Animal Health (26% of total coverage)

This remains the category receiving most attention in the regional press with bird flu taking a major stake of the tracked articles. During the winter months the risk for bird flu outbreaks is the highest and this has been confirmed during this quarter. The avian influenza virus affected birds and poultry flocks in several countries in Asia, despite government efforts to limit outbreaks, leading to major culling activities. Countries affected are Vietnam, Myanmar, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia, China and Thailand. An isolated case has been detected in Hong Kong. Bird-to-human transmission of the virulent H5N1 strain was reported and led to deaths in Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Pakistan and Myanmar. Indonesia, counting the most human deaths due to bird flu, the total number reached 101, remains a constant concern. A few cases of human-to-human transmission of the virus among relatives of a same family in China and Pakistan have been reported. The World Health Organization has stressed that the virus has not mutated into a pandemic form but maintains that the threat has not lessened and requires close monitoring and strong control efforts. For more information about bird flu, please read AFIC article, Short Briefings: Avian Influenza and Food Safety, and ‘Questions and Answers on Avian Influenza in relation to animals, food and water’ on the WHO website.

Healthy Eating & Lifestyle (10 % of total coverage)

The increased prevalence of non-communicable diseases which are diet and lifestyle related makes this a broadly covered topic. Many articles covered focus on simple measures which can have a big health impact. The results from a study carried out in the UK saying that “healthy living can add 14 years to your life” received a lot of regional media attention. The study confirmed that many could increase their lifespan through four simple changes: taking exercise, not drinking too much alcohol, eating enough fruit and vegetables and not smoking. Researchers from the World Health Organization promote in a special report in the Lancet medical journal efforts to cut salt intake as a simple step to save millions of deaths from heart disease. Scientific support for the health benefits of a Mediterranean-style diet, rich in fruit, vegetables, olive oil and fish keeps growing. Additional research findings add to the growing evidence linking the diet to lower incidence of heart disease, obesity and certain types of cancers. In India, the government announced several initiatives to encourage healthier lifestyles driven by recent figures indicating that lifestyle diseases claim more than half of those who die under the age of 60. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is launching a website dedicated to healthy eating habits; the Union Health Ministry is launching a pilot project in six states to prevent and control heart disease, diabetes and stroke. To learn more about high blood pressure and how blood pressure responds to simple lifestyle modifications read AFIC’s article ‘Your Lifestyle and Your Blood Pressure-What's the Link?’ in English, ภาษาไทย or 中文.

Food Safety - Chemical (7% of total coverage)  

Coverage in this area decreased importantly during this quarter mainly due to less food safety issues tracked in China. China’s four month long campaign against poor product quality and supervision to control the food safety of its domestic products shows encouraging results. According to state officials, progress has been made in curbing use of illegal additives. However, the government is aware of the remaining challenges and the first-ever food safety law, under development, is supposed to help further reduce the gap between China's standards and that in other countries. The government also announced it will do everything possible to assure safe food during the Olympic Games. An important food safety issue tracked in the region is the the presence of banned substances in food products: canned pork made in Hong Kong had to be recalled due to the presence of a metabolite of the carcinogen Nitrofuran, a banned antibiotic that is fed to sick pigs; China halted the import of a batch of US potato chips for containing the banned additive potassium bromate. AFIC organized the International Symposium on Food Safety and Nutrition Communications in Bangkok to enhance science-based risk communication in the region. To learn more about risk communication in the region, read ‘AFIC Research Spotlights Risk Communications Priorities for Asia’. in English, ภาษาไทย or 中文.

Biotechnology (7% of total coverage)

Governments in several countries announce policy efforts in order to progress agricultural biotechnology, considering the role biotechnology will play in agriculture, environment and health in the coming years. In India, the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) has approved the field testing of several Bt food crops: Bt rice, Bt okra, Bt brinjal, Bt tomato, Bt potato and Bt groundnut. In response to the increase in the number of field trials being conducted for several crops with new genes/events by public and private sector institutions, the Department of Biotechnology has formulated a set of new policy instruments including draft guidelines for conducting field trials and draft protocols for assessment of toxicity and allergenicity. In the Philippines, the Department of Agriculture announced the implementation of a Bt corn planting subsidy program to boost the country’s corn productivity. The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) says it expects that GMO Golden Rice, enriched with Vitamin A, will be available to farmers by 2011.  First field trials will be conducted in the Philippines this year. Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has released a draft regulation for field trials of genetically modified crops. In Thailand, no decision has been taken whether to allow open field trials for genetically modified crops. The regional media picked up the declarations from the US FDA and the EU EFSA saying that meat and milk from cloned animals is safe for human consumption, opening the door to possible sales of those controversial foods. To learn more about how to engage and educate the public on biotechnology development and progress in their country, read AFIC’s article ‘Biotechnology Communications-Making It Personal’ in  English, ภาษาไทย or 中文

Food Safety - Microbial (6% of total coverage)  

Several noticeable food poisoning cases have been tracked during this quarter:  Vietnam struggled with a cholera outbreak caused by poisoning of fresh and processed foods; in Singapore Salmonella food poisoning in cakes from a bakery chain resulted in a temporary shutdown of the factory; Malaysia continues reporting food poisoning cases at schools due to unhygienic conditions in canteens. A WHO representative mentioned during the International Symposium on Food Safety and Nutrition Communications organized by AFIC:  “People often worry about aspects of food that don’t pose a threat to their health, such as the addition of allowed food additives to processed products. But the number one health threat is the microbiological safety of foods”. To learn more about proper food preparation to prevent foodborne diseases read the WHO global food hygiene message ‘Prevention of foodborne disease: Five keys to safer food’.