You might have heard of the ‘Planetary health diet’ included in the landmark study from the EAT-Lancet Commission and it was this work that launched the concept of planetary health.
A team of scientists led by University of Otago are developing a uniquely New Zealand eating pattern called the New Zealand wellbeing diet, He Rourou Whai Painga, they hope will help reduce the impact of chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. The dietary approach will focus on locally produced vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, nuts and seeds and olive oil, and moderate amounts of seafood. The project also includes food and beverage industry collaborators, large and small. The study will recruit 200 participants and will take a whanau-based (family) approach to help introduce new foods and recipes to steer them toward a healthier eating pattern. This study is part of a larger project called the High-Value Nutrition Science Challenge that aims to demonstrate the health promotion potential of local foods and thereby grow the local consumption and export of New Zealand foods. Check out the video about it here.
New research from Deakin University has assessed the amount of sugars and non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) used globally and unsurprisingly perhaps, found the use of NNS has increased significantly.
The Ozfits Study is the first of its kind Australia-wide survey of infant and toddler feeding practices and food intake. Dr Merryn Netting, Advanced APD, from the South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute and Adelaide Women’s and Children’s Hospital, was interviewed on the Dietitian Connection podcast and has provided key insights including:
Sugar has been part of the human diet for as long as we’ve wandered the earth. Every culture, both modern and ancient has foods that contain natural sugars and in more recent years, added sugars are enjoyed and consumed across a wide variety of dishes. Australia is in the top ten producers of sugarcane in the world and the quality of the sugar we grow, mill and refine is some of the highest in the world. We adhere to the CODEX and the ANZ Food Standards Code to produce high quality and safe food, but what is the process to test the sugar we produce for quality?
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