Editor's Spotlight
Trend Tracker: DSM's cognitive health push, children's nutrition concerns, and what to expect at the second Healthy Ageing APAC Summit
Malaysia's childhood stunting shock: Rates higher than Palestine and several African countries — new report
A comprehensive report on childhood stunting in Malaysia has revealed that stunting rates in the country are even worse than in Palestine and certain African countries, such as Ghana and Senegal.
The report, titled Stunting in Malaysia: Costs, Causes, and Courses for Action, was compiled by the Jeffrey Cheah Institute (JCI) on Southeast Asia (Sunway University's independent public policy think tank) and the Jeffrey Sachs Centre (JSC) on Sustainable Development.
In it, lead author Derek Kok highlighted that according to 2018 World Bank data, Malaysia's rate of stunting among children under five was 20.7% — higher than in Ghana (18.8%) and much higher than in Gaza and the West Bank (7.4%).
Collaborating for cognitive gains: DSM-Senescence link-up aims for huge public health impact
DSM has entered a regional agreement with SLS Nutraceuticals, a subsidiary of biotechnology company Senescence Life Sciences, in a bid to improve brain health across all life stages in the Asia-Pacific region.
Under the agreement, DSM will have exclusive distribution rights of SLS Nutraceuticals' supplements, Edge and Revive, and a proprietary ingredient complex, NeuroShield.
NeuroShield is said to possess a combination of effects to address cognitive performance and health, and possibly even delay cognitive decline.
Healthy Ageing APAC Summit: One month to go until major brands take the stage
There is just one month to go until the second Healthy Ageing APAC Summit in Singapore, organised by FoodNavigator-Asia and NutraIngredients-Asia, featuring keynote presentations from Nestlé, PepsiCo, Kirin, BioCeuticals and FANCL.
With the number of over-60s in Asia set to double to 1.3 billion by 2050, the event will look at how the nutrition and food industry can meet the needs of the rapidly ageing populations of today, and more crucially, tomorrow.
This means we'll be shining the spotlight on the latest product innovations, ingredient discoveries, and research targeted at older consumers, while also assessing what industry is doing to improve the health of younger consumers, so they can ultimately lead a more active and healthy life, and enjoy their golden years for longer in the future.
Filling the gap: Kiwi scientist outlines global plans for novel nutritional snack bar for children and teenagers
New Zealand-based scientist and social entrepreneur Sir Ray Avery has developed a nutritional snack bar for children and teenagers, which he intends to make available globally.
The AMIGO Bar, touted as New Zealand's "first five star-rated supplementary food bar" for children and teenagers aged four to 14, contains essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals to support physical growth and brain development.
Over the last 10 years, Avery and his research team have been working on the development of the AMIGO Bar.
Taiwan's most popular health foods: Lactobacillus and stout camphor fungus top the list
Taiwan's health food market is dominated by Lactobacillus products, followed by stout camphor fungus, enzymes and collagen, according to new findings from Taiwan's Food Industry Research and Development Institute (FIRDI).
The report, commissioned by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, showed that Taiwan's health food market was worth NT$129.2bn (US$4.1bn) in 2017, representing a 6.43% rise from 2016.
Lactobacillus products were found to enjoy the lion's share of the health food market, with a market worth of NT$4.3bn (US$136m). The second place was a tie between stout camphor fungus — a product native to Taiwan — and enzymatic products, each with a worth of NT$2.1bn (US$66.7m).
