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Welcome to the May 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

Safe food, better nutrition and healthy children – that was the key theme at the Asian Food Information Centre (AFIC) Roundtable Discussions on Children’s Diet and Health held in Bangkok on April 29, 2008. Experts from around the region including attendees from the World Health Organization (WHO), government regulators and scientists as well as representatives from the media and the food industry met to discuss the most common nutrition issues affecting Asian children today and effective ways to address these.  

Changing lifestyles, including declines in physical activity and changes in dietary intakes, have led to rises in lifestyle related disorders such as overweight and obesity as well as diabetes and coronary heart disease. Nutrition information on foods and beverages as one component of an overall nutrition education program, is seen as a way to help consumers make informed choices as part of a healthier lifestyle. The AFIC consumer research, which was conducted in Bangkok and Shanghai in October and November 2007, looked at the main factors driving food choice and found that taste was the primary thing people look for when choosing meals. This is followed by nutrition and to a much lesser extent, information on the food label.  

For more information, check out AFIC latest press release ‘Safe Food, Better Nutrition and Healthy Children’ in English, ภาษาไทย or 中文. Asian Food Information centre (AFIC) supports the World Health Organization’s Move for Health Day on May 10. To read myths and facts about exercise, click ‘Move for Health - You can’t afford not to be active’ in English, ภาษาไทย or 中文.

 Food in the News:

Most Frequently Reported Food Safety and Nutrition Topics in

Daily Press and Newswires around the Asian Region

February – April 2008 (Q1-2008) Compared to November 2007 – January 2008 (Q4 2007)

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 (30% of total coverage)

The media continuously reported on the bird flu situation in the region. Ongoing H5N1 outbreaks in poultry have been reported in Vietnam, Laos, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia and China. South Korea reported its first H5N1 in poultry in the country since June 2007. The virulent virus is now spreading rapidly to several provinces in the country despite tight quarantine measures. Public concerns are growing and the government is urged to help minimize the threat to poultry farmers.  Also Japan confirmed its first case of bird flu since March 2007; the virus has been detected in swans. Human deaths due to bird flu were recorded during this quarter in Indonesia, Vietnam and China bringing the total number of victims for the year 2008 in these countries respectively to 13, 5 and 3. Pakistan confirmed two cases in a family cluster, suggesting human to human transmission likely occurred. 

According to the WHO, the world still faces a substantial threat of a flu pandemic and countries need to speed up preparations for a global outbreak. WHO is updating its 2005 preparedness plan to include progress in research on flu viruses, stronger international cooperation and experience with human cases of bird flu. 

Communication efforts by national health authorities to inform consumers about how to safely consume poultry meat and eggs remain limited. In Bangladesh, due to bird flu panic, chicken and egg consumption has decreased significantly putting children's protein intake at stake. For a few essential hygiene tips that AFIC recommends when dealing with poultry products, click ‘A Road Map for Safe Eating During Bird Flu’ in English, ภาษาไทย or 中文.

Food Safety-Chemical (10% of total coverage)

Tracked coverage in this category increased compared to the previous quarter. The increased reporting is mainly related to the several food poisoning cases that occurred in China, bringing a fresh wave of scrutiny of China’s efforts to tighten controls over its food industry. The food poisoning outbreak in Japan caused by pesticide-tainted Chinese dumplings received a lot of media attention regionally and internationally. The ministry announcement that last year 258 people died in China due to food poisoning, an increase with 30% compared to the previous year, puts even more media attention on China’s efforts to ensure safe food during the Beijing Olympics.   

Several research reports questioning the food safety of food additives and processing materials used in the modern food supply are also picked up by the press in the region: the Southampton study published last year suggesting an effect of artificial food colours on hyperactivity in children; a review study on the impact of aspartame on the brain; the US study on mice indicating that the chemical component of artificial butter flavoring, diacetyl, can lead to serious lung diseases; and the report by a U.S. health agency stating that the chemical bisphenol A (BPA), used in some plastic food and drink packaging including baby bottles, may be tied to early puberty and certain cancers. These reports may enhance the misperception in many people’s minds that all additives are harmful chemicals and overshadow the roles of food additives and ingredients in the modern-day food production. To learn more about processed foods and the role of food additives, read AFIC’s document Myths & Facts about Processed Foods.

Biotechnology (8% of total coverage)

Media coverage during this quarter was mainly driven by the discussion about rising food prices and whether genetically modified crops can play a role to future food security. Activist groups also organized to convince that the technology is not a solution and warning consumers about threat GMO present for human health.

Several other noticeable events are reported by the media in the region: due to the rising food prices, cornstarch manufacturers in South Korea started importing GM corn from the United States to process into starch and sweeteners for use in a variety of food products;  in Japan a leading corn processor will begin buying GM corn for food production; field trials of  the GM golden rice have started in the Philippines; in India, with trials of India’s first genetically modified food crop, Bt brinjal, progressing well the anti-biotechnology lobby is also becoming more active; the press in China reports that regulatory approvals for cultivation of GM crops are expected due to rising food prices and according to top agricultural biotechnology advisors, China is also to launch a huge research program on genetically modified crops by the end of the year.

To improve understanding of the practice and issues associated with modern biotechnology, consult AFIC’s communication guide:FOOD BIOTECHNOLOGY - A Communication Guide to Improving Understanding

Overweight/Obesity/Weight Control (7 % of total coverage)

Reporting about obesity in the regional press increased in this quarter. Many articles focused on government led strategies to tackle the growing obesity problem in many countries in the region. In Thailand, The Public Health Ministry has launched the start of a two-year campaign to help overweight Thais to fight obesity. The focus is on the promotion of physical activity in conjunction with healthy eating habits. At the launch of Nutrition Month Malaysia (NNM), the health ministry revealed the results of the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2006 indicating that the combined prevalence of overweight and obese adults was 43.1% - almost double the figure a decade ago. The objective of NMM is to promote greater awareness and the practice of healthy eating. In China, the Chinese Nutrition Society urges the different government departments to collectively address efforts regarding the prevention of childhood obesity.  

Research findings indicating that obesity is a risk factor for developing other diseases are frequently reported. The study published in the journal Lancet, suggesting that being obese or even overweight may increase a person's risk of developing up to a dozen different types of cancer received a lot of media attention. New research findings indicating strong genetic predisposition to obesity also generated regional media interest. High coverage also in the region of the study published in the journal Hypertension concluding that reducing the amount of salt that children eat could be key in reducing obesity. The researches found that children who ate less salt drank fewer sugary soft drinks. To learn more about high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), a sweetener commonly added to drinks and foods, and the much debated link with obesity read AFIC’s article ‘Obesity-Is HFCS to Blame?’ in English, ภาษาไทย or 中文.

Healthy Eating & Lifestyle (6% of total coverage)  

The press in the region frequently reported on study findings indicating health problems attributable to the increased consumption of a Western diet characterized by energy-dense processed foods, a low fiber content and a high fat and refined sugar content. According to new research from the US, a Western diet is associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome, a condition characterized by central obesity, hypertension, and disturbed glucose and insulin metabolism. Broad media coverage in the region also for the Australian study concluding that foods with a high glycemic index (GI), lead to a higher risk of certain health problems such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some types of cancer.  

Health professionals emphasize the role dietary guidelines play in disease risk reduction. Accordingly governments continue to take action to promote healthy eating habits. The Chinese Nutrition Society and the Ministry of Health have released a newly-revised edition of "Guideline of Chinese Residents' Diet (2007)". In Thailand, the Ministry of Public Health's Nutrition Division highlighted the health benefits of whole grain foods and encourages people to include more wholegrain products in the daily diet. To find out how to ensure your diet is sufficiently varied for maximum health and wellness read AFIC’s article 'A Varied Diet for Better Health’ in English, ภาษาไทย, 中文 or 한글.