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Welcome to the March 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.

 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

Food Safety - microbial (23%) - Heightened concerns over avian flu was responsible for much of the media coverage of this issue. WHO-initiated international conference in November generated much interest and provided a platform for experts to re-iterate concerns of the risk of human pandemic and the difficulties in containing current infection within poultry and wild bird populations. Media interest has been sustained by continued debate amongst experts on strategies to contain spread and risk factors. A second and even larger meeting in Viet Nam in Feb ’05 has renewed public interest and concern, but appears to be having little impact on farming and market practices in those countries most affected (Viet Nam, Thailand, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia and probably China). Thus, although not strictly food safety issue, impact on public perception and disruption to trade and food chain remains very strong.  The Indian Ocean tsunami and pubic health concerns associated with avian flu and SARS have also precipitated an ongoing public discussion on the region’s shortcomings in disaster-preparedness and emergency co-ordination capabilities. 

For more information related to this topic, click on ‘How Safe is Our Food?’

BSE/mad cow disease (10%)  - Confirmation of new BSE case in Canada, concerns of additional case in US which proved to be unfounded,  and continuing trade bans in Taiwan, Korea, Japan, with Philippines joining and Hong Kong partially lifting ban sustained public interest. Also, announcement of BSE-like illness in goats, trials of treatment for human CJD and development of new diagnostic tests for TSEs all ensured interest in the topic sustained. 

For more information on this topic, click on ‘OIE’ website.  

Biotechnology (9%) – Media interest in Thailand’s policy deliberations abated during this quarter. Other sources of interest for media coverage in this quarter were multiple announcements from India’s public sector on the potential benefits of biotechnology; S Korea’s plans to establish testing standards for presence of transgenic DNA; ISAAA’s Global Report on Biotechnology Status in 2004; Brazil’s approval of genetically modified soy commercialization and suspected self-seeding of biotechnology crops around Japanese ports. 

For more information on this topic, click on ‘ISAAA’s 2004 Global Report’. 

Healthy lifestyles/diets (8%)

Strong focus during this quarter on transition/changes in Asian diets, exemplified by interest in results of market research study on fast food / eating out habits in Asia.  Korean efforts to duplicate SuperSize Me documentary received little interest. WHO Western Pacific region Healthy Cities initiative launched in 2004, can be expected raise awareness and health-promoting initiatives (including those for physical activity) this year. 

Increasing interest in high levels of hypertension and options for intervention.  There are indications that the Asian Genome Study is potentially of great interest to general public, media and scientific researchers alike.  

For more information related to this topic, click on ‘Dietary Variety for Better Health’ 

Children’s Diets (7%) – The focus during this quarter shifted away from under-nutrition, to more emphasis on overweight and associated concerns, such as onset of Type 2 diabetes in childhood, increasingly sedentary nature of childhood for many of Asia’s children and young people, and the role of schools in promoting and encouraging healthy lifestyles. The focus on schools was especially apparent in India, Hong Kong, Malaysia and the Philippines.  

For more information on this topic, click on ‘Keeping Kids Trim and Fit’ 

Obesity /overweight (6%) – Always a popular topic but displaced a little this quarter by issues perceived to be more immediate/emergency in nature. The usual interest in fad diets was focused on the South Beach diet, but also replaced to some degree by emerging news on potential alternative ‘medical fix’ theories, such as current research on hormonal pathways involved in appetite control and genetic research on both appetite and predisposition to accumulation of fat. 

A small amount of spillover into Asia of the interest in the US and Europe on high fructose corn syrup was evident. The rising prevalence of Type 2 diabetes and associated complications was frequently associated with media coverage of obesity/overweight. Singapore government announcement that lower BMI cutoffs to be used for classification of overweight and obesity achieved very little interest beyond local press.    

For more information on this topic, click on ‘Time for the Latest Fad Diet’ 

Diabetes (6%) – World Diabetes Day in November ensured this topic and this year’s theme which was weight management, received interest, and AFIC’s press briefing for this important awareness raising day, proved to be highly popular with multiple pick ups in English, Thai, and Mandarin. Locally derived therapeutics such as guggulipds from India and red yeast rice from SE Asia also received some press interest.  

For more information on this topic, click on ‘AFIC Diabetes Press Release’.