Food Composition Activities in ASEANFOODS: 2000-2003

ABSTRACT ASEANFOODS is the Association of Southeast Asian Networks of Food Data systems. Its main objective is to organise activities to strengthen the development of national and regional food composition data with high quality, adequate quantity and accessibility to the users. With the support and collaboration from FAO, UNU, INFOODS, OCEANIAFOODS and other international and national organisation i.e., AUSAIDS, JICA, APFAN, ILSI, INMU and NSTDA-Thailand, various activities have been carried out since 1986. In this presentation, activities mainly conducted during 2000-2003 is presented. Regarding the food composition data: the first ASEAN FCTs was developed in 2000; FoodComp-Asia course which was the first international course in Asia, supported by FAO and ILSI was organised in 2002. Participants came from 11 countries, they were 4 from SAARCFOODS, 2 from NEASIAFOODS and 10 from ASEANFOODS. The activities to strengthen laboratory performance: four activitities were conducted; 1) food reference materials (RMs) were developed with consensus values of components. Two approaches were conducted; the values developed by interlaboratory studies, and obtained from laboratories with good performance, identified by proficiency studies. 2) Three rounds of laboratory performance studies were organised during 1989 to 1999 and two rounds during 2000 to 2003. The last study round, which included the analytical performance on the analysis of mandatory nutrients for nutrition labelling, showed that saturated fat, cholesterol, dietary fibre, sugars and vitamin A were problematic components. A technical meeting among food analysts will be organised to improve the performance on the analysis of those components. 3) A questionnaire survey was conducted among laboratories in ASEAN on existing analytical quality control system, the use of reference materials, the participation in the proficiency study, problems involved and requirement. The outcome of the survey are used for planning activities to strengthening the members countries in these areas. 4) Documentation of ASEAN Manual for food analysis: the activities were divided into three phrases -a. pre-workshop -the experts in each country were identified and analytical methods used were collected; b. Workshop -the methods of nutrient analyses were harmonised by groups of experts from each ASEAN country; and c. Post-workshop -the selected method(s) are reviewed, edited and final approved by technical team. It is expected that the manual will be available by the year 2004. Future activities of ASEANFOODS included preparing the ASEAN FCTs as an electronic database with food illustration, updating the FCTs in 2010, organisation of the second FoodComp-Asia in 2006, and continued activities on development of RMs and laboratory performance studies

Effect of Supplementary Zinc from Organic and Inorganic Sources on Laying Performance and Zinc Deposition in Eggs

Abstract The experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of supplementary organic and inorganic zinc on the laying performance and zinc deposition in eggs. One hundred and eighty laying hens (ISA Brown), aged 36 weeks, were randomly divided into 5 treatments with 4 replications of 9 hens each. A corn-soy based diet which was formulated to meet the recommended nutrient requirement especially the level of zinc (60 µ µ µ µ µg Zn/g diet) was used as the control diet. Both sources of zinc, inorganic (zinc sulfate) and organic (zinc amino acid chelate) were supplemented to provide zinc at levels of 300 and 600 µ µ µ µ µg/g diet, respectively. Supplementation of both the forms and levels of zinc in hens' diet had no effect on egg production, egg weight, the amount of feed consumed and feed per kg egg (p>0.05). Increasing the zinc level in the diet increased zinc deposition in the egg yolk (p<0.01). Ninety-nine percentage of the zinc was deposited in the egg yolk. A very low level of zinc was deposited in the egg white and the level seemed to be constant. No significant difference in the level of zinc deposition in the yolk was found between the organic and inorganic form of zinc. The forms and the levels of zinc supplemented also did not affect the quality of egg

Food composition database development for between country comparisons

Nutritional assessment by diet analysis is a two-stepped process consisting of evaluation of food consumption, and conversion of food into nutrient intake by using a food composition database, which lists the mean nutritional values for a given food portion. Most reports in the literature focus on minimizing errors in estimation of food consumption but the selection of a specific food composition table used in nutrient estimation is also a source of errors. We are conducting a large prospective study internationally and need to compare diet, assessed by food frequency questionnaires, in a comparable manner between different countries. We have prepared a multi-country food composition database for nutrient estimation in all the countries participating in our study. The nutrient database is primarily based on the USDA food composition database, modified appropriately with reference to local food composition tables, and supplemented with recipes of locally eaten mixed dishes. By doing so we have ensured that the units of measurement, method of selection of foods for testing, and assays used for nutrient estimation are consistent and as current as possible, and yet have taken into account some local variations. Using this common metric for nutrient assessment will reduce differential errors in nutrient estimation and improve the validity of between-country comparisons

Marginal folate inadequacy observed in a group of young children in Kwangju, Korea

Folate is important for multiple metabolic processes such as nucleic acid synthesis and interconversions, and cell division. Folate deficiency may be a risk factor for several pathologies, such as neural tube birth defects, dementia, and cardiovascular diseases. The objectives of this study were to estimate folate intakes and plasma concentrations of young children living in Kwangju, Korea. Three consecutive 24-h food recalls and fasting blood samples were obtained from 24 boys and 30 girls, aged 2-6 y, living in Kwangju, Korea. The daily folate intake (mean ± SD) of the children was 146.7 ± 73.6 µg dietary folate equivalents. No differences in folate intakes were observed by gender (p≥0.05). The mean folate intakes of the 2 and 3 y old groups were significantly lower (p<0.05) than those of 5 and 6 y old groups. Over half of subjects consumed <Korean Estimated Average Requirements for folate. The plasma folate concentration (mean ± SD) of all subjects was 19.2 ± 8.7 nmol/L, and there was no significant difference by age nor gender (p≥0.05). No significant correlation was observed between folate intakes and plasma folate concentrations. One subject (1.9%) in this study had a plasma folate concentration <6.8 nmol/L, which is indicative of folate deficiency. Approximately 24% of subjects had plasma folate concentrations of 6.8-13.4 nmol/L, which is representative of marginal folate status. In conclusion, some young children may have less than adequate folate status in Korea

Risk Factors for Overweight and Obesity among Thai Adults: Results of the National Thai Food Consumption Survey

We evaluated the associations between overweight and obesity and socio-economic status (SES), behavioral factors, and dietary intake in Thai adults. A nationally representative sample of 6,445 Thais adults (18-70 years) was surveyed during 2004-2005. Information including demographics, SES characteristics, dietary intake, and anthropometrics were obtained. Overall, 35.0% of men, and 44.9% of women were overweight or obese (BMI ≥ 23 kg/m2) using the Asian cut-points. Regression models demonstrated that age was positively associated with being overweight in both genders. In gender-stratified analyses, male respondents who were older, lived in urban areas, had higher annual household income, and did not smoke were more likely to be classified as overweight and obese. Women who were older, had higher education, were not in a marriage-like relationship and were in semi-professional occupation were at greater risk for being overweight and obese. High carbohydrate and protein intake were found to be positively associated with BMI whereas the frequent use of dairy foods was found to be negatively associated with BMI among men. The present study found that SES factors are associated with being classified as overweight and obese in Thai adults, but associations were different between genders. Health promotion strategies regarding obesity and its related co-morbidity are necessary

Weight changes and lifestyle behaviors in women after breast cancer diagnosis: a cross-sectional study

Background: Weight gain rather than weight loss often occurs after breast cancer diagnosis despite breast cancer survivors frequently reported making healthful lifestyle changes. This study describes the prevalence and magnitude of changes in weight before and after breast cancer diagnosis and examines lifestyle behaviors of breast cancer survivors with stable weight, weight gain or weight loss. Methods. Respondents were 368 women with breast cancer characterized by stages I, II and III. All were recruited from hospitals or breast cancer support groups and had completed conventional treatment. Current weight and height were measured while weight at cancer diagnosis and 1 year before diagnosis were self-reported. Weight change was calculated as the difference between current weight and weight a year preceding breast cancer diagnosis. A 24-hour diet recall and Global Physical Activity Questionnaire assessed dietary intake and physical activity, respectively. Differences in lifestyle behaviors among weight change groups were examined using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). Results: Mean weight change from a year preceding diagnosis to study entry was 2.73 kg (95% CI: 1.90-3.55). Most women (63.3%) experienced weight gain rather than weight loss (36.7%) with a higher percentage (47.8%) having at least 5% weight gain (47.8%) rather than weight loss (22%), respectively. Compared to other weight change groups, women in >10% weight gain group had the lowest fruit and vegetable servings (1.58 servings/day; 95% CI: 1.36-1.82) and highest servings of dairy products (0.41 servings/day; 95% CI: 0.30-0.52). Conclusions: Weight gain was evident in this sample of women after breast cancer diagnosis. Information on magnitude of weight change after breast cancer diagnosis and lifestyle behaviors of breast cancer survivors with varying degrees of weight change could facilitate the development and targeting of effective intervention strategies to achieve healthy weight and optimal health for better survival

Unlocking the biological potential of proteins from edible insects through enzymatic hydrolysis: a review

peer-reviewedThis review, focusing on studies published between 2005 and 2017, analysed the literature on the generation of bioactive peptides (BAPs) from edible insect proteins following enzymatic hydrolysis. The protein extraction and quantification methodologies used for edible insects varied considerably. While several edible insects have been evaluated for their ability to release BAPs, silkworm (Bombyx mori) is currently the most studied. Specifically, the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory, antioxidant and antidiabetic properties of edible insect protein enzymatic hydrolysates have been studied. Potent in vitro ACE inhibitory and antioxidant hydrolysates/peptides have been reported. In certain instances, these properties were validated in small animal studies (i.e. hypotensive effects). Enzymatic hydrolysis of edible insect proteins may also enhance technofunctional properties (i.e. solubility). The wider application of enzymatic hydrolysis protocols to edible insect proteins may ultimately allow for the increased discovery and utilisation of novel BAPs as sustainable protein/peptide sources for human nutrition.ACCEPTEDpeer-reviewe

Effects of Different Cooking Methods on the Vitamin D Content of Commonly Consumed Fish in Thailand

This study determined vitamin D content in commonly consumed fish in Thailand and the effects of different cooking methods on vitamin D retention. Five species of freshwater fish and four species of marine fish were purchased from three representative markets. All of the fish were individually prepared according to common household practices. Vitamin D2 and D3 were determined using the HPLC standard method (AOAC method 995.05). The results indicated that vitamin D3 was the only detectable form of vitamin D in the fish. Vitamin D content of raw freshwater fish ranged from 2.42 to 48.5 &micro;g per 100 g edible portion (EP), which was higher than that of raw marine fish (2.94 to 4.69 &micro;g per 100 g EP). Common silver barb, Red Nile tilapia, and Nile tilapia (freshwater fish living in the limnetic zone) contained high levels of vitamin D (48.5 &plusmn; 26.5, 31.0 &plusmn; 7.7, and 19.8 &plusmn; 3.5 &micro;g per 100 g EP, respectively). Boiled fish (except for Common silver barb), fried fish (except for Striped snakehead, Walking catfish, and Common silver barb), and grilled fish (except for Common silver barb, Giant sea perch, and Short-bodied mackerel) retained high levels of vitamin D, which were not significantly different (p &gt; 0.05) from raw fish. Common silver barb, Red Nile tilapia, and Nile tilapia&mdash;cooked by boiling, frying, and grilling&mdash;are recommended for consumption as excellent sources of vitamin D