Volume 11 Issue 2

▪ Keyword : anthropometry, children, income level, Johor, Kedah, Kelantan

▪ Content : This paper will present the socioeconomic profile and nutritional status of children aged 1–6 years in the rubber smallholdings of Peninsula Malaysia. A total of 323 households were involved in this study. The sociodemographic data were obtained through interviews with heads of households using a set of questionnaires. Anthropometric measurements were taken from 506 children aged 1–6 years from these households.

▪ Keyword : calcium, China, diet, food frequency questionnaire, food records, Malaysia

▪ Content : The objective of this study was to compare the dietary calcium intakes assessed by a quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and the three-day food record method in 230 Chinese postmenopausal women aged 50–65 years in Kuala Lumpur. The results showed that the mean calcium intake from the dietary records was 447 ± 168 mg/day and 499 ± 211 mg/day from the FFQ. The mean difference in intake by the two methods was 51.3 mg (95% CI = – 30.8 – 77.9; SD = 181.2, P > 0.05), which did not differ significantly from zero.

▪ Keyword : calcium, diet recall, food intake, New Zealand

▪ Content : The purpose of this study was to assess the agreement between the 24 h diet recall and a short 17-item 24 h food intake recall in assessing calcium intake. The calcium intakes of 21 women over the age of 50 were assessed by both methods on four occasions. The mean calcium intakes were similar using both methods, being 1034 ± 398 mg/day by 24 h diet recall and 822 ± 412 mg/day (SD) by 17-item 24 h food intake recall.

▪ Keyword : human milk, infant formula, stool consistency, stool frequency, Taiwan

▪ Content : The objective of this study was to test whether the gastrointestinal tolerance of a new infant formula equalled or exceeded the tolerance of other milk-based infant formulas, and to compare the tolerance of the new formula to that of human milk. This prospective, observational, multicenter, open-label study was conducted in Taiwan.

▪ Keyword : alcohol, Cassia auriculata, hepatotoxicity, hypolipidemia, India

▪ Content : We studied the effect of administering Cassia auriculata leaf extract to rats with experimentally induced liver damage. Hepatotoxicity was induced by administering 9.875 g/kg bodyweight ethanol for 30 days by intragastric intubation. C. auriculata leaf extract was administered at a dose of 250 mg/kg bodyweight daily in one group and 500 mg/kg bodyweight daily in another group of alcohol-treated rats.

▪ Keyword : constipation, controlled trial, elderly, human, kiwifruit, laxation

▪ Content : Numerous anecdotal reports have suggested that kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) has laxative effects. This could be an acceptable dietary supplement, especially for elderly people who often present with constipation. We wished to obtain objective evidence as to whether or not kiwifruit eaten regularly could promote laxation in elderly people. Thirty-eight healthy adults of age > 60 years consumed their normal diet, with or without one kiwifruit per 30 kg bodyweight for three weeks, followed by a 3-week crossover period.

▪ Keyword : CODEX Alimentarius Commission, nutrition claims, nutrition labelling

▪ Content : Nutrition labels describe the nutrient content of a food and are intended to guide the consumer in food selection. The nutrition information provided must be selected on the basis of consistency with dietary recommendations. Selection of the specific nutrients or food components to be listed should further take into account label space, the analytical feasibility of measuring the particular nutritional component within the food matrix, and the relative costs of such analyses. Nutrition information provided on labels should be truthful and not mislead consumers. At the same time, labelling regulations should provide incentives to manufacturers to develop products that promote public health and assist consumers in following dietary recommendations.

▪ Keyword : Australia, food standards, labelling, New Zealand, nutrition

▪ Content : Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) is a bi-national government agency forming a partnership between all of Australia’s States and Territories and the New Zealand government. Australia New Zealand Food Authority employs scientific, legal policy, communication and administrative staff in our Australia and New Zealand offices. Prior to 1991 each of Australia’s States and Territories had their own food standards; however, in 1991 Commonwealth legislation was introduced to consolidate responsibility for developing food standards in one specialist agency and to ensure the uniformity of Standards across all States and Territories in Australia.

▪ Keyword : European Union, nutrition labelling

▪ Content : The growing public interest in the relationship between diet and health and increasing public health problems in Europe were among the determining factors which led the European Commission to propose harmonized legislation on nutrition labelling. The Directive which was adopted in 1990 primarily aimed at providing information which helps consumers to make an informed choice and assist action in the area of nutrition education for the public.

▪ Keyword : foods, genomics, health claims, microarray technology, nutrients

▪ Content : The development of useful and accurate biomarkers for predicting outcomes of food based interventions is becoming more and more important, given the emphasis being placed on ingredients in foods contributing to disease risk reduction and optimal health promotion. With the human genome now laid bare, opportunities abound to barcode individuals with their risk profiles.

▪ Keyword : luxometer reading, Malaysia, night blindness, Orang Asli, Perak, vitamin A deficiency

▪ Content : This study determined the prevalence of ocular manifestation of vitamin A deficiency in Orang Asli (Aborigine) children. Night blindness was found in 16.0% of the children, conjunctiva xerosis in 57.3%, Bitot’s spot in 2.8%, corneal xerosis in 0.5% and corneal scars in 5.6%. These findings show that history of night blindness had sensitivity, specificity and predictive value (positive) of 47.2, 98.1 and 96.2%, respectively, compared with the standard diagnosis procedure using luxometer readings.

▪ Keyword : food regulations, health claims, nutrition claims, nutrition labelling

▪ Content : This review includes the situation of nutrition labelling and claims in six countries in South-East Asia: Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. With the exception of Malaysia, there is no mandatory nutrition labelling requirements for foods in these countries except for special categories of foods 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.

▪ Keyword : food with nutrient function claims, foods with health claims, FOSHU, functional food

▪ Content : The Japanese government enacted a new regulatory system called ‘Foods with health claims’ in April 2001, which consists of ‘Foods for Specified Health Use’ (FOSHU) and ‘Foods with Nutrient Function Claims’ (FNFC). The FOSHU was set up by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in 1991 to approve descriptions on a label regarding an effect of food on the human body. It was enacted as a part of ‘food for specified dietary use’ under the Nutrition Improvement Law.

▪ Keyword : β-carotene, Can Gio district, fat-soluble vitamin, Ho Chi Minh City, retinol

▪ Content : In this study, we clarified the status of the fat-soluble vitamins retinol and tocopherol, as well as β-carotene, as antioxidants in the prevention of cardiovascular disease in middle-aged Vietnamese populations with different incomes. In order to measure simultaneously the serum concentrations of retinol, β-carotene and tocopherol, we carried out high-performance liquid chromatography analysis with three separate detectors.

▪ Keyword : Andhra Pradesh, coronary heart disease, India, lipid profile, physical activity

▪ Content : South Asian countries have a high prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD) in line with their economic development. India, in particular, has a high burden of CHD. Hence, the aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of CHD risk factors in a semiurban population of Andhra Pradesh, India, in different socioeconomic status (SES) groups. Information was collected on socioeconomic status, physical activity, cigarette smoking, body mass, blood pressure (BP) and serum lipid profiles among a healthy sample of 440 men and 210 women with an age range of 20–70 years.

▪ Keyword : cardiovascular disease risk factors, fish consumption, India, long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids

▪ Content : The objective of this study was to investigate serum lipoprotein levels in order to assess cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors between fish-consuming populations and non-fish-consuming populations, as it has been speculated that fish intake reduces CVD risk. A representative sample of one thousand subjects (529 men and 471 women) were selected, with ages ranging from 20 to 70 years, from 40 villages belonging to fish consuming (500) or non-fish-consuming (500) populations. Serum lipoprotein lipids such as total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were analysed biochemically using standard procedures.

▪ Keyword : apolipoprotein, Can Gio district, cardiovascular disease, fatty acid composition, Ho Chi Minh City

▪ Content : In Vietnam, increasing fat consumption is a trend recognized recently in urban areas. To obtain a reasonable nutrition status and prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD), it is necessary to obtain information on habitual fat intake and biochemical parameters as risk factors for CVD in Vietnamese populations. Therefore, from the analysis of serum fatty acid composition, fat consumption patterns in Vietnamese populations in South Vietnam, with different incomes, are discussed in this study.

▪ Keyword : cognitive function, educational achievement, Hat Yai, IQ, iron deficiency, iron status

▪ Content : The association between iron deficiency anaemia and cognitive function impairment has been widely reported in young children, but whether the impairment is a result of iron deficiency per se or a combination of iron deficiency and anaemia, and how these conditions interact, is still questionable. Four hundred and twenty-seven school children from two schools in socioeconomically deprived communities were selected in southern Thailand. Iron status was determined by haemoglobin and serum ferritin concentrations.

▪ Keyword : China, food fortification, Henan, iron deficiency anaemia, NaFeEDTA

▪ Content : The therapeutic effects of NaFeEDTA-fortified soy sauce on anaemic students were investigated. Three hundred and four iron-deficient anaemic school children (11–17 years) were randomly assigned to three treatment groups: control group (consuming non-fortified soy sauce), low-NaFeEDTA group (consuming fortified soy sauce, providing 5 mg Fe/day) and high-NaFeEDTA group (consuming fortified soy sauce, providing 20 mg Fe/day). Blood haemoglobin (Hb) levels were determined before and after 1 month, 2 months and 3 months of intervention. In addition, serum iron (SI), serum ferritin (SF), free erythrocytic porphyrin (FEP), total iron binding capability (TIBC) and transferritin (TF) were measured before and after consumption of soy sauce for 3 months.

▪ Keyword : children, diet, Fars province, food sources, Iran, iron

▪ Content : Iron-deficiency anaemia is prevalent in childhood, especially in developing countries. Nutritional deficiency is one of the main causes of iron-deficiency anaemia, although absorption varies considerably between different dietary items. Information on the sources of iron in young children is limited. A study was therefore undertaken to investigate the different dietary sources of iron in 151 healthy children aged 4 years who were selected from two districts of Fars province, Iran. Two 3-day dietary diaries with pre- and post-interview were used to record the dietary intake of the children.