Selected Topics - Food Safety and Nutrition

• School of Food Science and Technology, UNSW

Events

• School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW - Upcoming Events

Global policies and related documents

• Codex Alimentarius Commission
  The Codex Alimentarius Commission was created in 1963 by FAO and WHO to develop food standards, guidelines and related texts such as codes of practice under the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme. The main purposes of this Programme are protecting health of the consumers and ensuring fair trade practices in the food trade, and promoting coordination of all food standards work undertaken by international governmental and non-governmental organisations.

Reports, guidelines and projects

• Banning Junk Food and Soda Sales in the State's Public Schools
  On September 15, 2005, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law two bills establishing nutritional standards for the food and beverages sold in the state’s public schools. The first, banned the sale of junk food—candy, cookies, chips and the like. The second, banned the sale of soft drinks—Coke, Pepsi, fruit drinks, sugared waters and similar products. The governor also signed a third bill that provided funding for fruits and vegetables in school breakfast programs. This report reflects on the processes involved in effecting this public policy change and its ongoing implications.
• Impact of Climate Change and Bioenergy on Nutrition
  Food security has four dimensions: food availability, access to food, stability of supply and access and safe and healthy food utilization. Food security is a key factor in good nutrition, along with health, sanitation and care practices. The paper begins by laying out the current state of global food insecurity and malnutrition, including magnitude, trends and future projections. The causes, consequences and costs of food insecurity and malnutrition are explored. Malnutrition is clearly a severe impediment to sustainable development and human security as it slows down economic growth and the achievement of equity. The paper briefly lays out a number of factors besides climate change, bioenergy and rising prices that will likely contribute to malnutrition in the future. The paper then explores the implications of climate change and rising bioenergy demand for nutrition. Agricultural activities contribute to climate change, but can also play an important role in adaptation and mitigation strategies, as well as in boosting food availability. Next, the paper examines the direct nutrition effects of rising bioenergy demand, as well as its contribution to rising food prices. It also discusses potential strategies for cultivation of bioenergy crops that can contribute to poverty reduction, food security and sustainable natural resource management. A chapter on policy implications provides a number of options for improving food security and nutrition, as well as for addressing the links between climate change and bioenergy demand on the one hand and nutrition on the other. The paper concludes with recommendations.
• Nutrition in India: Facts and Interpretations
  "In spite of India’s rapid economic growth, there has been a sustained decline in per capita calorie consumption during the last twenty-five years. While the decline has been largest among better-off households, it has taken place throughout the range of household per capita total expenditure. For both adults and children, anthropometric indicators of nutritional status in India are among the worst in the world. While these indicators have shown improvement over time, the rate of progress is slow relative to what might be expected based on international and historical experience. This paper presents the basic facts about growth, poverty and nutrition in India, it points to a number of puzzles, and it sketches a preliminary story that is consistent with the evidence. The reduction in calorie consumption cannot be attributed to declining real incomes, nor to any increase in the relative price of food. Our leading hypothesis, on which much work remains to be done, is that, as real incomes and wages have increased, leading to some nutritional improvement, there has been an offsetting reduction in calorie requirements due to declining levels of physical activity and possibly also to various improvements in the health environment. If correct, this analysis does not imply that Indians are currently adequately nourished; nothing could be further from the truth. Calorie intake has serious limitations as a nutritional intake; while calories are extremely important, there are too many sources of variation in calorie requirements for standard, invariant, calorie-norms to be usefully applied to large sections of the population. We conclude with a plea for better, and more regular, monitoring of nutritional status in India."
• Food Marketing to Children and Youth: Threat or Opportunity?
  This study examines the impact of food marketing on health of children and youth in the United States. It asserts that the food marketing industry intentionally and successfully targets children who are too young to distinguish advertising from truth and induces them to eat high-calorie, low-nutrient (but highly profitable) "junk" foods. The report also suggests a number of strategies to combat this influence.
• Hunger in America 2006: National Report Prepared for America's Second Harvest Final Report March 2006
  “...Despite America's great wealth, millions of Americans do not have enough food to eat each day. More than 25 million people use food banks and food-rescue organizations in America's Second Harvest -The Nation’s Food Bank Network (A2H), the nation’s largest network of emergency food providers - each year. This report presents the result of a study conducted in 2005 for Second Harvest. It provides a comprehensive profile of the incidence and nature of hunger and food insecurity in the U.S. The study provides extensive demographic profiles of emergency food clients at charitable feeding agencies and comprehensive information on the nature and efficacy of local agencies in meeting the food security needs."
• Nutrition Education in Primary Schools - A Planning Guide for Curriculum Development
  This 2007 report is a “….wide-ranging new guide on teaching good eating habits to primary school children in an effort to reduce malnutrition and diet-related diseases. The agency notes that one of the most effective strategies for overcoming malnutrition and chronic diet-related diseases, such as excess weight and obesity, diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, is educating school children in healthy nutrition…”.
• Nutritional Information in Crisis Situations
  This report is issued by the United Nations Standing Committee on Nutrition. The report is designed to provide information on key outcome indicators from emergency affected populations, play an advocacy role in bringing the plight of emergency affected populations to the attention of donors and humanitarian agencies and to identify recurrent problems in international response capacity. The Reports on Nutrition Information in Crisis Situations aim to cover populations affected by crisis, such as refugees, internally displaced populations and resident populations.
• Repositioning nutrition as central to development: A strategy for large scale development
  This World Bank Report examines malnutrition..."the world’s most serious health problem and the single biggest contributor to child mortality. Nearly one-third of children in the developing world are either underweight or stunted, and more than 30 percent of the developing world’s population suffers from micronutrient deficiencies. Unless policies and priorities are changed, the scale of the problem will prevent many countries from achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)—especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, where malnutrition is increasing, and in South Asia, where malnutrition is widespread and improving only slowly."
• Soaring food prices: Facts, perspectives, impacts and actions required
  "Further sharp price hikes and continued volatility in markets for food supplies appear to be likely for the next few seasons, according to a report released by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in the run-up to a summit on the global food crisis which is being held in Rome. FAO lists 22 countries that it says are particularly vulnerable to food price increases because of high levels of chronic hunger and because they are net importers of both food and fuel. The report [by FAO, May 2008] cites Eritrea, Niger, Comoros, Haiti and Liberia as being especially at risk."
• Socioeconomic inequality in malnutrition in developing countries
  This paper, written by Ellen Van de Poel, Ahmad Reza Hosseinpoor, Niko Speybroeck, Tom Van Ourti and Jeanette Vega, and published in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization (BLT) - Volume 86, Number 4, April 2008, 241-320, describes how "disparities in health outcomes between the poor and the rich are increasingly attracting attention from researchers and policy-makers, thereby fostering a substantial growth in the literature on health equity. “Socioeconomic inequality” in malnutrition refers to the degree to which childhood malnutrition rates differ between more and less socially and economically advantaged groups. This is different from “pure inequality”, which takes into account all factors influencing childhood malnutrition… This paper contributes to the literature in several ways. First, it updates and enlarges the evidence base on average malnutrition and socioeconomic inequality in malnutrition using the most recent Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data from 47 developing countries. The inclusion of such a large number of countries makes it possible to obtain insights into the regional clustering of poor–rich malnutrition disparities in the developing world and into the association between the average level of malnutrition and socioeconomic inequality. Given the focus on average rates of malnutrition in international development targets, it is of interest to establish how countries compare in terms of average rates of malnutrition and inequality in malnutrition. In addition to quantifying the degree of socioeconomic inequality using a single index, this paper also illustrates the different patterns found for the distribution of malnutrition across socioeconomic groups…".
• Socioeconomic Status and Obesity
  This study by Lindsay McLaren, and published in Epidemiologic Reviews (29: 29-48 (2007), reviewed a total of 333 published studies, representing 1,914 primarily cross-sectional associations. "The overall pattern of results, for both men and women, was of an increasing proportion of positive associations and a decreasing proportion of negative associations as one moved from countries with high levels of socioeconomic development to countries with medium and low levels of development. Findings varied by SES indicator; for example, negative associations (lower SES associated with larger body size) for women in highly developed countries were most common with education and occupation, while positive associations for women in medium- and low-development countries were most common with income and material possessions... The overall pattern of results, for both men and women, was of an increasing proportion of positive associations and a decreasing proportion of negative associations as one moved from countries with high levels of socioeconomic development to countries with medium and low levels of development. Findings varied by SES indicator; for example, negative associations (lower SES associated with larger body size) for women in highly developed countries were most common with education and occupation, while positive associations for women in medium- and low-development countries were most common with income and material possessions." [author abstract]
• State of Food Insecurity in the World 2005
  The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2005 was prepared as a collaborative effort within FAO led by the Economic and Social Department (ES). WFS), The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2005 focuses on the critical importance of reducing hunger, both as the explicit target of the WFS and MDG 1 and as an essential condition for achieving the other MDGs.
• State of the Evidence Review on Urban Health and Healthy Weights
  “…The relationship between urban environments and obesity has received little systematic attention. Our purpose was to review and synthesize the evidence on: a) structural and community level characteristics of urban environments that promote or inhibit the achievement of healthy weights; and b) the effectiveness of interventions to assist urban populations in achieving healthy weights. Research findings were categorized and tabulated within a framework that examines social determinants of health and multiple levels of the environment (i.e. community-level vs. structural). Four outcome areas were considered: obesity/healthy weights, food/diet/nutrition, physical activity and sedentary behaviour. The resulting analyses provide a high-level overview of the strengths of and gaps in the research on associations between urban environments and healthy weights. The report also identifies priorities for future policy-relevant research and presents the author suggestions for promising interventions that may help to reduce population obesity levels in urban places…”.
• The challenge of obesity in the WHO European Region and the strategies for response
  Edited by Francesco Branca, Haik Nikogosian and Tim Lobstein, "this book collects the papers that were written by a large group of experts in public health, nutrition and medicine to provide background for the Conference; a smaller book already published by the Regional Office summarizes many of their conclusions. Both this book and the summary illustrate the dynamics of the epidemic and its impact on public health throughout the European Region. In particular, the obesity epidemic’s rapid expansion to the countries in the eastern half of the Region causes great concern, as they now suffer from a double burden of disease linked to both under- and overnutrition…".
• The Future Control of Food: A Guide to International Negotiations and Rules on Intellectual Property, Biodiversity and Food Security
  “…Guide to the key issues of intellectual property and ownership, genetics, biodiversity, and food security. Proceeding from an introduction and overview of the issues, comprehensive chapters cover negotiations and instruments in the World Trade Organization, Convention on Biological Diversity, UN Food and Agriculture Organization, World Intellectual Property Organization, the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants, and various other international bodies. The final part discusses civil society responses to relevant changes and developments in these issues, how they affect the direction of research and development, the nature of global negotiation processes and various alternative futures.”
• The Global Epidemic of Obesity: An Overview
  "For centuries, the human race struggled to overcome food scarcity, disease, and a hostile environment. With the onset of the industrial revolution, the great powers understood that increasing the average body size of the population was an important social and political factor. The military and economic might of countries was critically dependent on the body size and strength of their young generations, from which soldiers and workers were drawn. Moving the body mass index (BMI) distribution of the population from the underweight range toward normality had an important impact on survival and productivity, playing a central role in the economic development of industrialized societies… This overview provides an introduction to this issue of Epidemiologic Reviews, highlighting, in historical perspective, key scientific aspects of obesity that are addressed by the 11 articles that follow. This compilation of reviews underscores the multidisciplinary nature of obesity research and the need to expand even further our scope to fully understand and confront the obesity epidemic…".
• What is known about the effectiveness of economic instruments to reduce consumption of foods high in saturated fat and other energy dense foods for preventing and treating obesity
  This is a Health Evidence Network (HEN) synthesis report summarizing the available evidence concerning the effectiveness of economic instruments (including taxes, price policies and incentives) in containing or reducing food consumption, particularly of foods high in saturated fats and other energy-dense foods. Available evidence suggests – but does not demonstrate – that introduction of policy-related economic instruments, particularly in the form of taxes and price policies, could reduce food consumption, including of high saturated fat and other energy-dense foods, and increase the purchasing of healthful foods.

Educational resources

• Arbor Nutrition Guide
  A comprehensive resource on issues of food nutrition
• FAO GeoNetwork
  "FAO GeoNetwork is a tool to fight hunger and rural poverty by using satellite imagery, spatial databases and interactive maps to help developing countries isolate the causes of food shortages was launched by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. ... Users overlay maps from multiple servers housed at development institutions worldwide to create customized thematic maps on their own computers covering such variables as land cover, soil quality, vegetation, population density and marketing access. ...When an emergency occurs, the maps created by the different agencies in their respective fields of expertise can be combined to see the relationship between different factors affecting the populations and the environment..."
• FAO Knowledge Forum
  "The FAO Knowledge Forum provides a direct gateway to the Organization’s vast expertise and wealth of knowledge through a series of interactive services. It is also an opportunity to learn from and give a voice to the agricultural community regarding a wide range of issues affecting Food Security and Agricultural Production today. Through the Knowledge Forum, FAO uses knowledge exchange and dialogue to help build a world without hunger."
• HungerWeb
  "The aim of HungerWeb is to help prevent and eradicate hunger by facilitating the free exchange of ideas and information regarding the causes of, and solutions to, hunger. It contains primary information, made available by the World Hunger Program."
• Martindales: The 'Virtual' Nutrition Center
  A large collection of information on all aspects of nutrition, almost daily updates
• Public Health Nutrition Victoria (Australia)
  This web site provides information for health professionals, educators and practitioners in Public Health Nutrition and health promotion focusing on issues that affect the whole population rather than the specific dietary needs of individuals. The emphasis is on promoting health and disease prevention.
• University of Pennsylvania Food Safety Home Page
  A resource for anyone interested in the cause and prevention of foodborne illness. It provides basic information about the bacteria, parasites and viruses that can cause foodborne illness, gives factual information on current food safety issues and contains links to many government, university and industry web pages.
• Vegetarian Resource Group
  "A non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public on vegetarianism and the interrelated issues of health, nutrition, ecology, ethics, and world hunger."

Organisations and Networks

UN and multinational

• Food and Environmental Protection FAO/IAEA
  The Food and Environmental Protection Section of the Joint Division and its associated Agrochemicals Unit of the FAO/IAEA Agricultural and Biotechnology Laboratory provides assistance and support to countries in their efforts to ensure the safety and quality of food and agricultural commodities while at the same time facilitating international trade.
• WHO Food Safety
  The Food Safety Department (FOS) strives to reduce the serious negative impact of foodborne diseases worldwide
• WHO Nutrition
  WHO-EURO Nutrition Homepage

Government

• FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (USA)
  "This Center regulates domestic food, imported food, and cosmetics sold in the US. It promotes and protects United States public health and economic interest by ensuring that: food is safe, nutritious and wholesome, and cosmetics are safe; and that food and cosmetics are honestly, accurately and informatively labeled."
• National Food Safety Initiative (USA)
  An intersectoral collaboration between Food and Drug Administration, U. S. Department of Agriculture, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Non Government

• Center for Food Safety (USA)
  "This centre focuses on the impacts of our food production system on human health, animal welfare and the environment"
• Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) [USA]
  "A non-profit education and advocacy organization that focuses on improving the safety and nutritional quality of our food supply and on reducing the adverse impact of alcoholic beverages. CSPI seeks to promote health through educating the public about nutrition and alcohol; it represents citizens' interests before legislative, regulatory, and judicial bodies; and it works to ensure that advances in science are used for the public good"
• Eating Disorder Referral and Information Center (USA)
  "This centre provides information and treatment resources for all forms of eating disorders. Its goal is to provide assistance, in the form of information and resources, to those suffering with eating disorders to get them started on the road to recovery and healthy living"
• Food and Nutrition Information Center (USA)
  The Food and Nutrition Information Center at the National Agricultural Library (USA) provides resource lists, databases and food and nutrition related links.
• Insulin Free World Foundation
  Devoted to helping people to find ways---not to manage, not to live with---but to overcome diabetes. This site was created by diabetics, for diabetics
• Linus Pauling Institute
  Based at Oregon State University (USA) the mission of the Institute is to determine the function and role of micronutrients, phytochemicals and microconstituents of food in maintaining human health and preventing and treating disease, and to advance the knowledge in areas which were of interest to Linus Pauling particularly in orthomolecular medicine through research and education.
• Soil Association (UK)
  "The UK's leading campaigning and certification body for organic food and farming. We develop and provide practical and sustainable solutions which combine food production and environmental protection and human health."

Academic Institutions with particular focus in this area

• School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW - Health Promotion Activities
• School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW - Research

Key Conferences, conference and workshop reports

Coming conferences

Conference reports

Journals, Newsletters, Forums

Bibliographies, Libraries

Public health bookshops

• Public Health bookshop