Functional Foods
(44% of
tracked coverage)
Broad range
of foods and bioactive ingredients featured. More of the articles scanned
highlighted bioactives and functional properties, than specific foods.
Bioactives and functional properties featured included dietary fibre, low
glycaemic index, probiotic, antioxidants, phytochemicals and most popular of
all, omega-3 fatty acids. Articles which concentrated more on foods than their
properties mainly highlighted herbs, spices and fruits. Chocolate and chili also
covered. For more information on functional properties of soy, click
here.
Overweight/weight management
(13% tracked
coverage)
A
substantial proportion of articles surveyed, focused on weight loss strategies,
and many of these emphasised balanced eating and physical activity. A
substantial proportion of articles also described strategies to avoid weight
gain, and boost overall health. A small proportion adopted an over-simplified
approach ‘blaming’ specific foods but overall, evidence indicates there is
increasing recognition that maintenance of a healthy weight is a complex,
multi-factorial challenge, and still much not known. For more information on
weight management during celebrations and feasts, please click on the following
links in
English,
ภาษาไทย
or
中文.
Supplements
(10% tracked coverage)
Slightly
more of the articles surveyed focused on vitamin and mineral supplements than
herbal and botanical supplements. The particular challenges of widespread
micronutrient deficiency in Indonesia were reflected in some of the articles,
and emphasised the critical need for adequate nutrition during pregnancy,
lactation and early childhood. For more information on micronutrient
supplementation, click on
the
links in
English,
ภาษาไทย
or
中文
Calcium/Dairy Product
(6% tracked coverage)
Most common
focus of scanned articles was the nutritional benefits of consumption of dairy
products, particularly milk. Beneficial nutrients highlighted were B vitamins,
vitamin D, calcium, conjugated linoleic acid, zinc and protein, and health
benefits were reduced risk of osteoporosis, higher calcium levels in the body,
and reduced cancer risk. Some articles suggested milk could undermine health
benefits of other foods (anti-cancer properties of tea for example), and some
articles on non-dairy milks also tracked. For more information on prevention of
osteoporosis and calcium, click on the links in
English,
ภาษาไทย
or
中文.
Fats/Heart Disease/Cholesterol
(5% tracked coverage)
Most popular
theme for articles under this category was trans fats, how to spot foods that
contained them and how to avoid and to lesser degree why. Second most common
topic was cholesterol. Articles recognised that overall diet was more
influential on cholesterol blood levels than consumption of foods high in
cholesterol. The essential role of cholesterol for body function was also
covered. More information on prevention of heart disease click on the following
links in
English,
ภาษาไทย
or
中文.
Food
Safety (Chemical)
(5% tracked coverage)
Unusually,
the most common theme of articles scanned in this year’s survey was the
essential role of preservatives in maintaining safety and continuity of supply.
Some of these articles also highlighted the extensive safety checks that
additives, such as preservatives must undergo before being approved for use, and
the legal requirement for approval of use. For more information on the safety of
including approved preservatives in a healthy diet, click on the following links
in
English,
ภาษาไทย,
中文
or
한글.
The 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.
