Asia
Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Volume 11, supplement
2, 2002
Novel Foods in Nutrition Health and
Development: Benefits, Risks and Communication
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Contents
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Abstract |
Paper
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 Focusing
on novel foods: Their role, potential and safety
Mark Wahlqvist
Asia
Pac J Clin Nutr. 2002;11(Suppl):S98-S99.
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Global nutrition problems and novel foods
Graeme A Clugston, Trudy E Smith
Asia
Pac J Clin Nutr. 2002;11(Suppl):S100-S111.
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Novel
foods across the lifespan: From infant formula to impacton ageing
FARUK AHMED
Asia
Pac J Clin Nutr. 2002;11(Suppl):S112-S116.
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Genetic
variation and dietary response: Nutrigenetics/ nutrigenomics
ARTEMIS P SIMOPOULOS
Asia
Pac J Clin Nutr. 2002;11(Suppl):S117-S128.
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Molecular and genetic considerations for long-term nutrition interventions
PATRICK J STOVER, CUTBERTO GARZA
Asia
Pac J Clin Nutr. 2002;11(Suppl):S129-S136.
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Traditional
food formulation and its future: Examples from South Asia
UMA RAMACHANDRAN
Asia
Pac J Clin Nutr. 2002;11(Suppl):S137-S148.
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The place of carbohydrates in newer food formulations: Opportunities
for nutritional advancement and their safety
MARK L WAHLQVIST
Asia
Pac J Clin Nutr. 2002;11(Suppl):S149-S154.
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Macronutrient innovations: The role of fats and sterols in human
health
DUO LI, ANDREW J SINCLAIR
Asia
Pac J Clin Nutr. 2002;11(Suppl):S155-S162.
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Omega-3
fatty acids in wild plants, nuts and seeds
ARTEMIS P SIMOPOULOS
Asia
Pac J Clin Nutr. 2002;11(Suppl):S163-S173.
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Macronutrient innovations and their educational
implications: Proteins, peptides and amino acids
RICHARD SD READ
Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2002;11(Suppl):S174-S183.
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Micronutrient
restoration and fortification: Communicating change, benefits
and risks
IAN DARNTON-HILL, MARTIN W BLOEM, BRUNO DE BENOIST, LYNN R BROWN
Asia
Pac J Clin Nutr. 2002;11(Suppl):S184-S196.
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Phytochemical
composition: A paradigm shift for food-health considerations
ROBERT PREMIER
Asia
Pac J Clin Nutr. 2002;11(Suppl):S197-S201.
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Nutrition
communication: Do we need a new outlook?
ANTHONY WORSLEY
Asia
Pac J Clin Nutr. 2002;11(Suppl):S202-S206.
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Communicating
food science and technology: From a developing country to a developed
country point of view
FG WINARNO
Asia
Pac J Clin Nutr. 2002;11(Suppl):S207-S211.
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Food
component safety: Risk benefit analysis in developing countries
DEON
MAHONEY
Asia
Pac J Clin Nutr. 2002;11(Suppl):S212-S214.
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Nutrition
labelling and claims: Concerns and challenges; experiences from
the Asia Pacific Region
E-SIONG TEE
Asia
Pac J Clin Nutr. 2002;11(Suppl):S215-S223.
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Implications
for food regulations of novel food: Safety and labeling
JOHN R LUPIEN
Asia Pac J
Clin Nutr. 2002;11(Suppl):S224-S229.
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Focusing
on novel foods: Their role, potential and safety
MARK WAHLQVIST
see pdf
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Global
nutrition problems and novel foods
GRAEME A CLUGSTON, TRUDY SMITH
The world's demand for food is becoming greater than ever. The current
world population of 6 billion will exceed 8 billion in 2025 and new
innovations are needed to meet the growing challenges of the poor
and hungry world. Novel foods produced through biotechnology may help
alleviate the problems of poverty and food insecurity, but only if
steered by continual policy development and actions at the regional,
national and international levels. The great progress made with iodized
salt in combatting iodine deficiency disorders, through global partnership,
provides inspiration for future applications of nutritional science
and food technology to public health problems in the developing world.
The attributes of biotechnology-produced novel foods are complex.
As outlined in the present paper, they may also provide the diets
of people in developing countries with more energy, protein and micronutrients.
This could thereby reduce the extent of suffering associated with
public health problems such as vitamin A deficiency and iron deficiency
and anaemia, which affect millions. However, more research and resources
need to be focused on the problems and opportunities that face small
farmers and poor consumers in developing countries. In particular,
attention should be focused on the foods that feature most predominately
in their diets such as bananas, cassava , sweet potatoes, rice, maize,
wheat, millet and yams, and unless this exciting science is given
a chance to prove itself in the developing world we will never know
if it is in fact the so-called 'biosolution'. Paradoxically, overnutrition,
obesity, and related diseases characteristic of the developed world,
are becoming serious public health problems in countries with widespread
food insecurity. Children suffering from undernutrition today could
well be afflicted with chronic diseases of development as adults.
The economic development that has led to improved food security and
better health in some countries needs to be harnessed, while at the
same time incentives to avert the adverse health effects of the nutrition
transition need to be taken. The potential of novel foods to alleviate
undernutrition is becoming more apparent. But they are unlikely to
have a role in the prevention of diseases associated with overnutrition
in developing countries, who use growing incomes to replace their
traditional diets high in complex carbohydrates and fibre, with diets
that include a greater proportion of fats (especially saturated) and
sugars. More aggressive public health policies are needed to steer
populations in nutrition transition towards a healthy lifestyle and
diet rather than investing in particular novel foods. In developed
countries the wide variety of macronutrient-modified foods available
to consumers has enabled people to eat a more healthy diet, along
the lines of the recommendations issued by many governments, and so
reduce the risk of diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular disease
and cancer. Novel foods containing macronutrient substitutes can be
a useful adjunct to consumers if they are used to supplement an overall
effort to reduce fat and calories as part of a balanced diet. On a
population basis it is difficult to ascertain the impact of such foods
on the prevention of obesity, not least because of the confusion surrounding
the role of individual macronutrient components in its aetiology.
Efforts to encourage individuals, especially children, to eat healthy
diets and have an active lifestyle are more likely to help prevent
the growth of this already epidemic problem. The discovery that the
intake of certain foods and their associated components can exert
profound physiological effects has been accompanied by research into
the potential health-promoting effects of functional foods. Many of
these foods and beverages are already consumed by large population
groups worldwide, and have been for centuries. It is unlikely that
such foods or drinks are going to result in any untoward effects in
these population groups. But for many functional foods, more research
needs to be conducted in humans to judge whether or not they provide
a true health-promoting edge, as well as ensuring that they conform
to rigorous safety requirements. The present paper points to a future
in which specific foods help protect against diseases to which we
are genetically susceptible. There is no doubt that important applications
of all aspects of nutritional science, coupled with advances in genetics
and the optimization of dietary intake, are on the horizon. But only
a meticulous scientific approach eliciting highly significant results
will ensure the success and acceptability of this new discipline.
Nutrigenomics will lead to development of diets targeted to individuals,
and as new information on dietgene interactions becomes available
and genotypic analyses are used to enhance the quality of medical
care, there are enormous ethical, legal and psychosocial issues that
will need to be addressed. Safety evaluation is vital for all novel,
functional or formulated foods, whatever their disease-preventing
potential. It is equally important that they are considered as and
eaten as part of a healthy balanced diet, not in isolation. This will
help to dispel the notion that there are good and bad foods, and instead
promote the significance of good and bad diets. Only then are these
foods likely to be an important part of the global agenda for combating
malnutrition.
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Novel
foods across the lifespan: From infant formula to impacton ageing
FARUK AHMED
The
purpose of the present paper was to examine the scopeof novel foods
in improving and/or preventing the nutritionaldisorders in different
stages of lifespan. First, attempts weremade to review the current
trend and magnitude of the nutritionalproblems in each of the stages
starting from fetal development to old age. The paper then describes
the possible potential role ofnovel foods in alleviating and/or preventing
these nutritional/health problems.The conclusion made is that the
novel foods have a great potentialfor improving the overall nutritional
status throughout the lifespan,thereby reducing the risk of early
death or disability due to chronic diseases.However, to achieve a
noticeable impact of novel foods on publichealth, efforts are needed
to ensure that these foods are availableand affordable to the population
most at risk.
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Genetic
variation and dietary response: Nutrigenetics/ nutrigenomics
ARTEMIS P SIMOPOULOS
Advances in molecular
and recombinant DNA technology have led to exquisite studies in the
field of genetics and the recognition in a much more specific way,
through DNA sequencing, of how unique each one of us is, and the extent
to which genetic variation occurs. The importance of the effects of
genetic variation has been extensively studied and applied by pharmacologists
in drug development and evaluation of drug metabolism and adverse
reactions to drugs. In the past two decades, physicians, geneticists,
and nutritionists have begun to study the effects of genetic variation
and genenutrient interactions in the management of chronic diseases,
such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, cancer, diabetes and
obesity; and the role of nutrients in gene expression. A new era is
being ushered in that may be called 'nutrigenetics/nutrigenomics'.
The new genetics has enormous implications for nutrition research
both in the prevention and management of chronic diseases. Because
families share both genes and environment (in this case, diet), similarity
may result from either. Much research has been carried out to define
the contribution of each and their interaction in the development
of the individual. Knowledge of genetic susceptibility to disease
will help identify those at higher risk for disease, as well as their
response to diet. The prospect of targeting specific dietary treatment
to those predicted to gain the most therapeutic benefit early has
important clinical and economic consequences, particularly in diseases
of high prevalence such as coronary artery disease, hypertension,
osteoporosis, and possibly cancer. With the unfolding genomic and
technological revolution, continuing investments in research offers
unprecedented opportunities to understand disease processes, prevent
intrinsic and environmental risks to health and develop new approaches
to improve the quality of life worldwide. Furthermore, knowledge of
genetic susceptibility to disease will help identify those at higher
risk for disease, as well as their response to diet. As a result,
there will be a need for the development of novel foods targeted to
individuals, families and subgroups within populations. Although the
emphasis of new genetics has been on pharmacogenetics, it is the responsibility
of the nutrition scientists to expand in parallel the relationship
of genetics and nutrition and establish nutrigenetics/nutrigenomics
as a major discipline in nutrition in the 21st century.
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Molecular
and genetic considerations for long-term nutrition interventions
PATRICK J STOVER, CUTBERTO GARZA
The potential for new functional foods and substantial modification
of traditional foods presents unprecedented opportunities and new
challenges to the public health community. The technical advances
that enable these possibilities presumably present an efficient, cost-effective,
and sustainable means of improving human health and preventing nutrition-related
diseases. Directed manipulation of the food supply, however, presents
risks that also must be considered and monitored carefully to avoid
known adverse consequences associated with elevated nutrient intakes.
Additionally, more research is necessary to understand the subtle
effects and long-term consequences that result from elevated individual
nutrient intakes on human health and disease risk through changes
in gene expression and genome stability. Growing awareness that genetic
variation influences both nutrient requirements and upper levels of
safe intake require that the risks and benefits associated with manipulation
of the food supply be considered at the individual and population
levels. In the present report current approaches and limitations to
the precise manipulation of the food supply are considered in light
of recent efforts to prevent neural tube defects by increasing the
population's dietary folic acid intake.
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Traditional
food formulation and its future: Examples from South Asia
UMA RAMACHANDRAN
Globally, three major problems faced by humanity are
population explosion; insufficient production of food (especially
so in the South Asian countries); and underdevelopment. These problems
are interdependent and need to be tackled soon. Among various factors
that limit the world's population, it is undoubtedly the scarcity
of food that is most obvious even to a lay person because food is
essential
for survival. The scarcity of food also brings about recognizably
disastrous effects, some of which have already been witnessed. This
means that agricultural output, especially those of the waning food
crops, must increase enormously over a brief period if the world food
situation is to improve. This is a challenge that will confront humanity
on the threshold of the centuries to come. In the aforementioned context
it
would be apt and important to consider innovation of region-specific
traditional food crops and exploration of novel foods that will strengthen
feeding systems in the present changing times, and contribute to food
security and better nutritional values. The present paper has attempted
to illustrate some examples from South Asia.
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The
place of carbohydrates in newer food formulations: Opportunities for
nutritional advancement and their safety
MARK L WAHLQVIST
Carbohydrates,
from food, have a high degree of acceptability in the human diet as
safe and are usually associated with other important nutrients, notably
protein and various micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), but also
biologically advantageous phytochemicals, although there is a wide
spectrum of nutrient (or food component) densities between grains,
root and other vegetables and fruits. As the human diet has evolved,
less nutritious forms of edible carbohydrate have been in evidence,
because of refining and co-presentation with fat (e.g. a sugary pastry).
These are nutritional safety issues in their own right. But, as newer
food formulations develop, greater attention can be paid to the chemical
(which simple sugars, oligosaccharides or polysaccharides), physical
(the food structure retained or conferred) or functional properties
(glycaemic, digestible, fermentable) of the carbohydrate, along with
the presence or absence of companion compounds (macro-, micro- and
phyto-nutrients). These developments present opportunities and limitations
in altering physiology and health outcomes and create new riskbenefit
relationships. More now needs to be understood by food and nutrition
policy makers, manufacturers and health-care professionals about the
future of such foods, how they will influence food choice, what the
regulatory arrangements will be, and how their use will be monitored
for safety, sustainability and health.
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Macronutrient
innovations: The role of fats and sterols in human health
DUO LI, ANDREW J SINCLAIR
see pdf paper
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Omega-3
fatty acids in wild plants, nuts and seeds
ARTEMIS P SIMOPOULOS
Human beings evolved consuming a diet that contained approximately
equal amounts of omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids. Over the
past 100150 years there has been an enormous increase in the consumption
of omega-6 fatty acids due to the increased intake of vegetable oils
from seeds of corn, sunflower, safflower, cotton and soybeans. Today,
in Western diets, the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids ranges
from 10 to 20:1 instead of the traditional range of 12:1. Studies
indicate that a high intake of omega-6 fatty acids shifts the physiologic
state to one that is prothrombotic and proaggregatory, characterized
by increases in blood viscosity, vasospasm, and vasoconstriction and
decreases in bleeding time, whereas omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory,
antithrombotic, anti-arrhythmic, hypolipidemic, and vasodilatory properties.
These beneficial effects of omega-3 fatty acids have been shown in
the secondary prevention of coronary heart disease and hypertension,
as for example, in the Lyon Heart Study, the GISSI Prevenzione Trial,
and in the The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Study. Most
of the studies have been carried out with fish oils (eicosapentaenoic
acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)). However, a-linolenic acid
(ALA), found in green leafy vegetables, flaxseed, rapeseed, and walnuts,
desaturates and elongates in the body to EPA and DHA and by itself
may have beneficial effects in health and in the control of chronic
diseases. The present paper identifies multiple sources of ALA from
plants, legumes, nuts and seeds and emphasizes the importance of the
ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids for proper desaturation and
elongation of ALA into EPA and DHA.a-linolenic acid is not equivalent
in its biological effects to the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids found
in marine oils. Eicosapentaenoic acid and DHA are more rapidly incorporated
into plasma and membrane lipids and produce more rapid effects than
does ALA. Relatively large reserves of linoleic acid in body fat,
as are found in vegans or in the diet of omnivores in Western societies,
would tend to slow down the formation of long-chain omega-3 fatty
acids from ALA. Therefore, the role of ALA in human nutrition becomes
important in terms of long-term dietary intake. One advantage of the
consumption of ALA over omega-3 fatty acids from fish is that the
problem of insufficient vitamin E intake does not exist with high
intake of ALA from plant
sources.
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Macronutrient
innovations and their educational implications: Proteins, peptides
and amino acids
RICHARD SD READ
Recent estimates
of human requirement for indispensable amino acids have shown that
the requirement for key amino acids such as lysine is twofoldthreefold
higher than previously thought. As a consequence
recommended intakes for protein, particularly for vulnerable groups
such as the elderly, need to be revised. Indispensable amino acids
can also be used directly to improve amino acid supply in diets. A
range of nitrogen compounds such as creatine and branched chain amino
acids are currently used by groups such as athletes, although their
efficacy is open to question. Peptides are natural components of the
diet and some of these have been shown to have beneficial effects.
The emergence of methods for genetic modification of food proteins
raises possibilities of the development of novel foods for a variety
of benefits including improved supply of indispensable amino acids,
reduced allergenicity, or preformed antibodies to reduce risk of disease.
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Micronutrient restoration and fortification: Communicating change,
benefits and risks
IAN DARNTON-HILL, MARTIN W BLOEM, BRUNO DE BENOIST, LYNN R BROWN
Food
fortification has played a significant role in the current nutritional
health and well-being of populations in industrialized countries for
over 70 years. A relative lack of a concentrated food processing chain,
less developed commercial markets, and relatively low consumer awareness
and demand have hindered the same application of the intervention
in the transitional, and even more, in the least developed countries
until quite recently. The present paper reviews fortification of foods
with micronutrients in advantaged (industrialized), transitional (developing)
and least developed countries briefly, including reference to bio-fortification,
examining some of the public health issues involved. There are different
needs and challenges in getting this technology accepted and making
it sustainable. Primary constraints in reaching poor target populations
are adequate availability, accessibility, and quality assurance/quality
control. The paper then examines some issues of risk and benefit and
the communication of these, and finally looks towards the future and
draws some conclusions. Despite these issues there has been an enormous
increase in fortification programmes over the last couple of decades
in developing countries. Along with dietary diversification, supplementation
and related public health and private sector intervent ions, this
has resulted in considerable progress in reducing the prevalence of
vitamin A and iodine deficiencies, but much less so with iron, even
as zinc and folic acid deficiencies have emerged as significant public
health problems. Food fortification based on sound principles and
supported by clear policies and regulations will play an increasingly
large role in the progress towards the prevention and control of micronutrient
malnutrition. Success and sustainability require clear communication
of the small risks involved and the substantial benefits, particularly
to populations with significant levels of micronutrient malnutrition,
as a complementary approach with other public health measures, in
reducing the prevalence of deficiencies and their health consequences.
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Phytochemical
composition: A paradigm shift for food-health considerations
ROBERT PREMIER
Foods derived from plants, such as fruits and vegetables, have been
the backbone of human nutrition since the beginning of time. Hunting
and fishing supplemented diets with protein-rich foods but nutrition
was predominantly based on the availability of plant foods. The importance
of various plant foods in the development of some civilizations and
economies has been well documented: maize in the Americas, potatoes
in parts of Europe after their introduction from the Americas, and
wheat in Australia. Plant industries are still the backbone of cultures
and economies in almost every corner of the world and production figures
support the fact that plant industries are still regarded as the most
important source of nutrition. Nutrition parameters found in plant
foods vary between crops but there is a consensus that plant foods
can supply most, if not all, of the essential components for human
nutrition. These components were discovered slowly by trial and error
during human history, a classic example was the prevention of scurvy
in seafarers. When fresh fruit and vegetables were missing from their
diet, they learned that products such as pickled cabbages and citrus,
rich in vitamin C, could prevent the manifestation of this dehabilitating
dietary disease. As early as the turn of the century scientists learned
that diet not only affected nutrition but also had an effect on health
and well-being. But it was not until 1933 that a direct relationship
between consumption of fruit and vegetables and diseases such as cancer
was shown. Fruit and vegetables not only have become the backbone
of local agricultural markets but also play a major role in international
trade. Competition for local and international markets is driving
extensive research and development to produce new cultivars. Until
recent times research has concentrated on producing new varieties
that store longer, yield better, look better, taste better, suit local
climates, display disease and pest resistance and suit processing
technologies. A new wave of research is addressing the newly developing
interest in heath-based foods. Molecular biologists, biochemists,
botanists and medical researchers are linking in with plant breeding
programmes to develop new varieties of fruit and vegetables that are
tailor-made to produce higher levels of health-related phytochemicals.
New phytochemical-enhanced products such as broccoli, tomato, oranges
and berries are currently being evaluated for commercial exploitation.
The present paper will discuss some of the products that are being
produced, the driving forces behind their production, the phytochemicals
targeted and the problems that must be addressed if this new approach
in human nutrition and health is to be of benefit to consumers.
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Nutrition
communication: Do we need a new outlook?
ANTHONY WORSLEY
The present paper
will discuss the nature of nutrition communication and knowledge in
relation to novel foods. The paper starts with an introduction to
trends in present-day society, then focuses on the concepts of knowledge
and information in relation to human needs and motivation. Next, the
relevance of food and nutrition communication to consumer lifestyles
is discussed. This is followed by consideration of consumer issues
related to novel foods. The key conclusions are that nutrition communication
is a minor part of most consumers' lifestyles and that the promotion
of novel foods must be based on the dissemination of sound nutrition
principles throughout the various values and lifestyles segments of
the population.
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Communicating
food science and technology: From a developing country to a developed
country point of view
FG WINARNO
The history of food is a history of thousands of years of human choice
set in the context of an almost Darwinian process of natural selection.
Around the world, food is eaten to fill stomachs and to keep bodies
strong and healthy. In Asia there is, frequently, a shift in emphasis.
The Asian people, like everyone else, eat to survive, but they also
eat to keep their bodies finely tuned, physically and spiritually.
No food is a nutritious food if it is not safe. Food safety is of
paramount importance for food trade, both domestically and internationally.
Developed Asian nations such as Japan, Singapore, and South Korea
have been paying more attention to healthy eating. Fearful of health
problems, they are returning to traditional foods. On average, life
expectancy has more than doubled from 34 years at the turn of the
19th century to 76 years in developed countries today. With the advance
of medical science and technology, the figure is set to rise. There
is growing scientific evidence that these major diseases are closely
associated with lifestyle, dietary habits in particular. There are
many well-accepted observations that show that protective immune responses
are impaired in old age, that immune deficiency causes an increased
risk of more frequent and more severe infections, and that nutritional
deficiencies occur frequently and are a detrime determinant of the
immunocompetence of aging. The relationships of nutrition, aging and
immune competence are attracting more and more attention. The world
trend in foods will be focused into four food groups, which are characterized
for their positive effect on human life in the future: (i) foods that
will improve cardiovascular disease; (ii) foods that enhance the immune
system; (iii) foods that increase women's health, fitness and beauty;
and (iv) foods that could improve the nutritional status of children.
To communicate better, there is an urgent need for easily available
local-based textbooks that successfully discuss applications of food
science and nutrition to people of the particular developing countries,
and at the same time discuss in simple national language all the basic
principles of foods and nutrition. If developing countries are to
give their children the heritage of health as well as freedom, the
people must change their attitude toward food. They must learn from
each other and from the world about the kind of foodstuffs that make
a person healthy.
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Food
component safety: Risk benefit analysis in developing countries
DEON MAHONEY
Novel
foods and novel food ingredients are making a rapid appearance in
countries such as Vietnam. They are likely to gain acceptance by the
consumers because medicinal and health properties of food are traditionally
sought by people in the region. Although these foods offer potential
benefits to the population in terms of increasing the nutritional
adequacy of the diet, they also pose potential problems. Inadequate
laws and enforcement as well as a underdeveloped capacity to deal
with the safety, nutritional impact and provision of information to
the population have the potential for undesirable consequences for
the introduction of novel foods. The solutions are to build technical
capacity, to develop the legal and enforcement government infrastructure
and to adequately inform the consumer about the risk and potential
benefits of novel foods.
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Nutrition labelling and claims: Concerns and challenges; experiences
from the Asia Pacific Region
E-SIONG TEE
The
present report provides an overview of the situation of nutrition
labelling, nutrition claims and health claims in several countries
in the Asia Pacific region. The regulatory requirements of six countries
in South-East Asia (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore
and Thailand), two other countries in Asia (China and Japan) and AustraliaNew
Zealand are reviewed. With the exception of the recently introduced
Joint Food Standards Code of AustraliaNew Zealand and the proposed
new regulations in Malaysia, there is no mandatory nutrition labelling
requirements for a wide variety of foods in all these countries. Many
countries, however, require nutrition labelling to be made compulsory
for special categories of foods (e.g. foods for special dietary use)
and when nutritional claims are made for fortified or enriched foods.
Nevertheless, several food manufacturers, especially multinationals,
do voluntarily label the nutritional content of a number of food products.
There is therefore increasing interest among authorities in countries
in the region to start formulating regulations for nutrition labelling
for a wider variety of foods. Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia
have proposed new regulations to make it mandatory to label a number
of foodstuffs with a number of core nutrients. Other countries prefer
to start with voluntary labelling by the manufacturers, but also spell
out the requirements for voluntary labelling. The format and requirements
for nutrition labelling differ widely for countries in the region.
Some countries (e.g. Malaysia) have followed the Codex guidelines
on nutrition labelling in terms of format, components to be included
and mode of expression rather closely. Other countries, such as the
Philippines and Thailand, have drafted nutrition labelling regulations
very similar to those of the Nutrition Labelling and Education Act
of the USA. Nutrition claims are also not specifically permitted under
current regulations in most of the countries reviewed. However, various
food products on the market can be found with a variety of nutrition
(and even health) claims. It is feared that without proper regulations,
the food industry is not certain what claims are permitted to be made.
Excessive and misleading claims made by irresponsible manufacturers
would serve only to confuse and mislead the consumer. There are therefore
also efforts in countries in the region to enact regulations on nutrition
claims. Japan has detailed requirements for making nutrition claims
such as 'high', 'source of', 'free', and 'low'; these criteria are
not the same as those recommended by Codex. Malaysia has initiated
the process to enact regulations to clearly stipulate the permitted
nutrition claims and the conditions required to make these claims.
The proposed regulations are closely aligned to the guidelines of
Codex. Most of the other countries also permit some nutrition claims
to be made, with varying degree of resemblance to Codex guidelines.
Health claims are not permitted in most of the countries in the region.
Some countries have specifically prohibited health claims to be made
for foods. The exception is Japan, which has permitted health claims
to be made for a group of foods approved to be foods for specified
health uses (FOSHU). These may be considered to be functional foods,
and presently approximately 200 of them have been approved by the
Ministry of Health and Welfare. This is, however, a rather unique
system wherein approval is given to individual items based on scientific
data submitted. China too has permitted health claims to be made on
specific foods that are termed health foods. A health claim phrase
permits a simple description or statement of the health functions
of the food product. These health foods shall also be preapproved
by the Ministry of Health prior to marketing. Indonesia and the Philippines
are only two countries in the Association of South-East Asian Nations
(ASEAN) region that allow limited health claims to be made, similar
to those permitted by the USA. There are more differences than similarities
in the regulations on nutrition labelling and claims among countries
in the Asia Pacific region. It is important for discussions to be
held among countries in the region for greater collaboration in the
enactment of regulations on nutrition labelling and health claims.
Although a single nutrition label may not be practical for the region,
closer agreements in minimum requirements would benefit food industries.
Similarly, more similarities in the requirements for nutrition claims
would facilitate regional trade. Health claims is an even more complex
subject for the region and regulatory agencies would be cautious in
its development. One of the major challenges in promulgating requirements
for nutrition labelling and claims is to ensure that the consumer
understands the label and that it assists them in making an appropriate
food choice. The ability of small- and medium-scale industries to
comply with the proposed regulations is also an important concern.
Other concerns include the laboratory capabilities or other means
of arriving at the nutrient levels for declaration, an efficient mechanism
for processing applications for nutrition and health claims and the
monitoring and evaluation of these regulations.
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Implications
for food regulations of novel food: Safety and labeling
JOHN R LUPIEN
Novel or functional foods may provide health and nutritional benefits
due to non-nutritice components such as fiber, flavonoids, and phenols.
National, regional and international regulations are discussed as
a means to control label claims, composition and uses.
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Last
Updated: September 2004
HEC
PRESS Publisher
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