|
t_Articles
t_Articles
W elcome
to the July 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
|
Date |
Events |
|
August
21-23, 2007 |
10th ASEAN Food Conference 2007,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
|
September 9-13, 2007 |
10th Asian Congress of
Nutrition,
Taipei, Taiwan |
|
September 12-13, 2007 |
China International Food Safety and
Quality Conference & Expo
Beijing, China |
|
September 30, 2007 |
World Heart Day 2007,
Theme ‘Team Up for Healthy Hearts!’ |
New
from AFIC
Check out
AFIC’s latest press release,
‘What Gifts for
Our Children on Children’s Day?’ in
English,
ภาษาไทย
and
中文.
Food
in the News:
Survey of Nutrition and Food Safety Features in Chinese Magazines
for Sale in June
Note: These
figures are based on simple counting method of topic headings
and do not allow
for differences in length or depth of feature articles.
Comments
on Most Frequently Reported Topics
The number
of Chinese lifestyle magazines which carry food safety, nutrition and health
features is currently less than other Asian markets, hence only 11 magazines
included in AFIC’s first survey of Chinese lifestyle press features on these
subjects. Special interest newspapers covering similar topics meet some of this
shortfall but are not included in this scan.
Functional
Foods
(26% of
tracked coverage)
Foods, which
may provide health benefits additional to basic nutrition are a very popular
topic in lifestyle press in China. A tendency to overstate potential benefits of
foods, and/or the scientific evidence of genuine, measurable improvements in
health status is common, as has been noted in many of AFIC’s earlier magazine
surveys in other markets. Potential health benefits highlighted included eye
health, slowing signs of ageing, boosting iron levels. More commonly, specific
foods and their potential health-giving properties were the central angle of
stories. Fruits and vegetables were the most frequently featured foods, and
included tomatoes, seaweeds, ginger, and soy. Beverages including tea were also
popular. Other foods featured were chocolate, seafood, honey. For an overview of the potential extra health giving
properties of the nutrient calcium, click on ‘Calcium-A Versatile and Essential
Nutrient’ in
English,
ภาษาไทย
or
中文.
Healthy
Eating/Lifestyles
(14% of
tracked coverage)
Topics
tracked included the importance of breakfast, vegetable and fruit intake,
benefits of physical activity, raw food diets, blood pressure and health, as
well as wholegrains. Other themes were diet suggestions for good memory; eating
advice for different age groups and WHO standards for physical and mental
health. For more information on this topic, click on ‘Thinking Globally, Taking
It Personally for A Long and Healthy Life’ in
English,
ภาษาไทย
or
中文.
Children’s
Diet & Health
(8% tracked
coverage)
General
health advice for parents and the health risks of childhood overweight and
obesity as well as heavy metal poisoning were featured in the scanned sample .
Also health adviceon the benefits of whole grains for breakfast, including lots
of fruits and vegetables in the diet and ensuring enough time in the daily
routine for physical activity.
Infant
Feeding
(12% tracked
coverage)
The benefits
of breast feeding was the most frequent topic under this heading, followed by
advice on weaning foods, and third most common subject was the negative impact
of overweight on infant health. Weaning guidance included advice on specific
foods such as vegetables, eggs, fruits, and rice congee. A lack of scientific
evidence for some of these topics was apparent. For a balanced overview of early
milk feeding and weaning, click on
here, the link to an article by
AFIC’s European sister organization.
Overweight/Obesity/Weight
Control
(7% tracked
coverage)
Topics
featured included diet advice for stable weight management based on moderate
diet and regular exercise, and information on the potential negative impact on
health of obesity. For an overview of personal weight management considerations,
go to AFIC’s mini website on the subject
here.
Supplement
(8% tracked coverage)
Iodine,
folic acid, fish oil, vitamin C were some of the topics covered under this
heading. Articles were generally informative and science-based. “2007 China
Fortified Food Year” attracted some, although limited coverage. A noticeable
tendency to encourage consumers to seek nutrients from food not pills was
apparent. For information on the latest scientific evaluation of efficacy and
safety of dietary supplements, click on
here.
Calcium/Dairy
Products
(5% tracked
coverage)
Topics
featured included advice on achieving calcium intake for different age groups;
soy milk substitute suggestions for those with milk intolerance, the benefits of
dietary calcium and vitamin D during the menopause. The survey also picked up 1
feature claiming a negative health impact of dairy consumption but in the main
the focus was on encouraging increased calcium intake.
|
