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t_Articles
Welcome to the June
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
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Date |
Events
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July 10-12, 2003 |
2nd Congress
of the Nutritional Academy of Nutrition Ageing, Albuquerque NM, USA
International Academy &
Nutrition Aging, Sylvie Lauqe
www.healthandage.com/html/min/iananda/content/albuquerque.htm
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July 17-20, 2003 |
BioThailand
2003:Technology for Life, Pattaya,
Thailand
National Center for
Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC)
http://biothailand.biotec.or.th/
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September 7-9, 2003 |
2nd
Asia-Oceania Conference on Obesity (MASO 2003), Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia
Department of Nutrition
and Dietetics, Faculty of Allied Health
www.iaso.org/conferences/conflinks.htm
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NEW
FROM AFIC
Most
Frequently Reported Food Safety and Nutrition News Topics in Asia
 
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
POPULAR TOPICS
Children’s diet and
health
Interest in the topic of children’s diet
and health has increased massively in the last 6-8 months, with
increased awareness of the rise in Asia of childhood overweight and
obesity. Growing prevalence of childhood overweight has also been a
topic of acute interest in the US, Australasia and Europe. Much press
commentary has centered on discussions over the root causes, strategies
for prevention, and some limited reporting of treatment initiatives.
Other topics also gaining some media interest include malnutrition,
especially iodine deficiency, food allergy and dental health. For more
information click on this topic
http://www.afic.org/FFA Issue 16 November 2002 - Focus on Tweenie
Health.htm
Overweight/obesity/weight management
Rates of adult overweight and obesity
both regionally and globally continue to rise, and media interest in
this subject remains quite intense. Causes of the rise in overweight;
concerns over its impact on individuals’ health and public health costs;
as well as awareness-raising reports of the rise are regular news
themes. Miracle cures (diets, pills, surgery) also remain popular
themes, and research results announcements on
genetic/infectious/evolutionary causes are likewise picked up readily. A
significant proportion of press reporting also offers advice on
treatment in the form of weight reduction diets, and tips for increasing
physical activity levels. Limited advice on prevention of weight gain is
apparent. The latest Issue of AFIC’s Food Facts Asia includes a brief
description on one approach to weight management, click on Grazing for
Weight Loss
http://www.afic.org/FFA Issue 17 March 2003 - Grazing for Weight
Loss.htm
Supplements
Interest in supplements has grown
considerably during the last 12 months. The majority of news stories
recommend the use of herbal and vitamin supplements, very few advise
caution or seeking qualified medical advice. There has been a small but
noticeable increase in the number of news reports on adverse
side-effects, and some pick up of international calls for the ban on
some substances, such as kava and ephedra. More recently, there has been
extensive reporting of the license withdrawl of Australian supplements
manufacturer, and subsequent widesparead product recall. This has added
fuel to the small but growing public demand for accurate labeling and
health claims based on scientific evidence. For more information on this
topic, click on AFIC’s Overview of functional foods and supplements
http://www.afic.org/FFA%20Issue%2017%20March%202003%20-%20Dietary%20Supplements
%20 &%20Functional%20Foods%20-%20An%20Overview.htm for more
information.
Healthy Lifestyles
Reducing the risks of onset, and the
impact, of chronic degenerative disease remains a popular topic.
Nevertheless, generalized reporting of this topic appears to be giving
way to more focused reporting on prevention of specific conditions such
as diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis. Specific advice on the
role that functional foods, supplements and physical activity can play
in prevention of chronic ill-health is also gaining increasing
attention.
Functional Foods
As with supplements, there is growing
public interest in the benefits beyond basic nutrition that some foods
may bring to individuals’ health and diet. A wide variety of food types
are receiving regular inclusion in news stories, but especially, omega-3
fatty acids and good sources such as oily fish and DHA-enriched eggs;
phytonutrients and dietary fibre available in fruit and vegetables; tea
and chocolate as sources of polyphenols/ flavonols.
More information is available, see AFIC’s
Overview of functional foods and supplements, for more information,
http://www.afic.org /FFA
%20Issue%2017%20March%202003%20-%20Dietary%20Supplements%
20&%20Functional%20Foods% 20-%20An%20Overview.htm
Biotechnology
Interest in food biotechnology remains
very strong. Most recent news triggers include, application for approval
of commercial cultivation of canola in Australia, evaluation of yields
of India’s first Bt cotton crops, evaluation of Bt corn yields in
Philippines, a series of national (for example, Thailand) and regional
(for example European Commission) statements on the detrimental impact
to national development and competitiveness, of falling behind in
technical and commercial biotechnology competencies. Response to food
aid which included genetically modified ingredients also generated a
flurry of press coverage and public debate.
For a report of attitudes amongst
consumers in Asia to biotechnology foods, click on ‘Consumers in Asia
remain open on Food Biotechnology’
http://www.afic.org/FFA Issue 17 March 2003 - Consumers in Asia Remain
Open-Minded on Food Biotechnology.htm
Foodborne illness
The primary driver of news stories on
foodborne illness remains mass outbreaks of foodborne illness, usually
described as food poisoning. However, there is a perceptible shift to
more reports of national authority initiatives to improve food hygiene
standards (for example increased resources allocated to inspection and
training services for food handlers in Singapore, Malaysia and
Australia). AFIC’s own 10 Tips for Prevention of Foodborne illness, also
enjoyed significant mass media circulation recently. For a copy of
AFIC’s 10 Tips, please click on
http://www.afic.org/Ten Food Safety Tips to Take With You Anywhere,
Anytime.htm
Pesticides
Concerns over pesticide residue levels
has risen during the last 12 months. Some of this was initially
triggered by changes in EU regulations on residue limits of produce
(animal and plant), with many reports focusing on trade and economic
implications. This appears to be shifting and more news reports are now
focusing on local consumer health concerns regarding pesticide residues.
More information on this topic is available, click on
http://www.afic.org/Going Organic.htm
Food labeling and
regulations/traceability
This topic has received increased media
interest recently, mainly because of positive demand for better
nutrition labeling, rather than increase in allied food safety concerns.
However, increasing awareness of the benefits to consumer knowledge and
consumer rights, of traceability systems and safety/nutrition standards
has also fueled press interest. The intense public interest in labeling
following revelations in Japan of mislabeling of products in order to
obtain government subsidies has temporarily subsided.
Cancer and diet
Most recently, the focus for cancer and
diet has shifted to epidemiological evidence that overweight and
obesity; high saturated fat diets; low levels of physical activity all
contribute to individual risk of developing cancer. WHO statement
earlier this year, underlining the link between cancer and overweight
has been a major driver in the unfolding of this issue. A small amount
of media coverage has also addressed regional cancer-diet links, for
example, consumption of aflatoxins and liver cancer in India,
consumption of salted/preserved fish and nasal cancers in Chinese
communities. Public concerns over acrylamide levels in food and possible
links to cancer, last year were largely addressed by international
evaluation and conclusions that there was no evidence of a causal link.
For a brief update on scientific opinion on acrylamide in food see
Health Implications of Acrylamide in Food
http://www.afic.org/Health%20Implications%20of%20Acrylamide%20in%20Food.htm
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
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