Glico Pos-Ca Clear Mint Smart Pod

These sugarless chewing gums are now launched in a new pack size and package design. They are packed in a cup with lid containing slips of paper to dispose finished chewing gum. They contain phospho-oligosaccharide calcium (POs-Ca) which remineralizes teeth and regulates the environment in the mouth for strong and healthy teeth.

Researchers urge crackdown on junk food TV ads

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Junk food ads account for two-thirds of televised advertisements for food that are shown when children are likely to be watching, researchers into obesity said Friday, based on a study of 11 countries.

Germany and the United States led the way at 90 percent, with Britain and Australia the lowest at about 50 percent, the researchers said, urging governments to limit such marketing in order to combat obesity.

"Internationally, children are exposed to high volumes of unhealthy food and beverage advertising on television," Bridget Kelly, a nutrition researcher at the Cancer Council NSW in Australia, and colleagues told the European Congress on Obesity in Amsterdam.

"Limiting this food marketing is an important preventative strategy for childhood obesity."

About 177 million children and teenagers under 18 years old worldwide are clinically overweight or obese. The figures include 22 million overweight children under five years old, according to the International Obesity Task Force.

Obesity raises the risk of conditions like heart disease and type 2 diabetes, and the growing epidemic is piling pressure on many cash-strapped national health systems.

Unhealthy lifestyles including high-calorie diets, poor exercise and hours spent in front of the television or computer have contributed to the surge in childhood obesity.

"There is a lot of attention on unhealthy food marketing as an influence on childhood obesity and a lot of governments are reluctant to regulate," Kelly said in an interview. "So most countries in the study don't have regulations on food advertising."

The researchers, who looked at children in Australia, Asia, Eastern and Western Europe and North and South America, found that junk food ads mainly featuring fast food, confectionery and high-fat dairy foods increased during times young people were most likely to be watching.

"Children see around 4,000 to 6,000 food advertisements on television a year and between 2,000 and 4,000 are for unhealthy foods," Kelly said. "So even if you are in countries that are advertising less to children, that is still a lot."

While establishing a direct link between advertising and obesity is difficult, it is clear marketing plays a big role in the kinds of food children prefer, the researchers said.

Fever Stimulation Beverage

The new line of Fever Stimulation Beverage with "all natural herbal infusion" is claimed to be the World's first Stimulation Beverage. The non-carbonated drink is sold in the USA in a single-serve 14 fl. oz. aluminum bottle by Fever Beverage USA.

Promotional literature reads, "Fever is not an energy drink; rather, Fever is a stimulation beverage that produces feelings of pleasure and euphoria, as well as being: Rich in antioxidants - Body detoxifier - Balances the central nervous system - Enhances libido - A natural source of energy. Fever contains ingredients ranging from the well-known green tea, caffeine to Glycarin(tm), one of Fever's proprietary ingredients, which is an all-natural, antioxidant-rich, phyto-aphrodisiac, developed as a result of the latest scientific research into male and female performance and well-being, shown to promote healthy bones."

The Pineapple + Coconut "combines the vitamin-rich pineapple fruit with the disease-combating properties of coconut."

The Mango + Banana drink "is high in iron, potassium-rich and contains anti-cancer properties.

Kiwi + Strawberry is high in dietary fiber.

While the Pomegranate + Cherry variety is said to help reduce blood clotting and aids in the flow of blood to the heart, and to aid in weight loss.

Wai Wai Quik Noodles Commercial

An interesting concept advertisment that some what associates religion with the pleasures of foods...



Nice tagline: Heaven, is here, in front of us!

Choya Umeshu Jelly

Choya Umeshu Jelly [Japanese apricot liqueur jelly]

This is a new ready-to-drink, low-alcohol cocktail type product added to the series. This product contains a unique jelly made with Japanese apricot liqueur; the solid type jelly is carbonated to produce a pleasant mouthfeel.

The consumer shakes the can before consuming, and it is recommended to be served chilled. The Japanese apricots used are only produced in Japan. There are no flavorings added.

Choya Umeshu claimed this is not only the first jellied, ready-to-drink, effervescent umeshu product but also the first jellied alcoholic beverage with an effervescent mouthfeel launched in Japan. The alcohol content is 5%.

Swine flu in humans in the USA and Mexico

An advisory from Singapore's AVA

USA and Mexico had reported cases of flu in humans caused by a new Swine Influenza A/H1N1 virus that contains a reassortment of gene segments from different strains of avian, porcine (pig) and human flu viruses. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the virus characterised in this outbreak has not been previously recognised in the USA or elsewhere. The World Health Organization (WHO) also states that the virus has not been previously detected in pigs or humans.

The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) would like to assure the public that it is closely monitoring this developing situation, which started in the USA and Mexico, and is taking the necessary measures to safeguard the public health in Singapore.

Swine flu in pigs
In pigs, swine flu is a respiratory disease and the infection usually affects only the respiratory tract. The disease is commonly found in major pig-producing countries. However, most of the swine influenza virus strains are usually not transmissible to humans. The lungs are the major target organs in an infected animal. Swine flu virus particles are not found outside the respiratory tract and associated lymph nodes.

Virus spread by human-to-human contact
Previously, there had been reports of swine flu in humans which were spread in the following two ways:
•Through contact with infected pigs or environments contaminated with swine flu viruses.
•Through contact with a person with swine flu i.e. human-to-human spread

 In the current situation in the US, CDC has determined that the virus was spread through the human-to-human mode. The human cases in the US did not have contact with pigs and the US authorities have also not reported infection in pigs caused by the same viral strain.

No danger of contracting flu virus from imported pork
According to the US CDC and WHO, swine flu viruses are not spread by food. Humans cannot get swine flu from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork products is safe. Cooking will render the pork safer, as cooking would kill any flu viruses.

Singapore does not import pork from Mexico, as Mexico is not an approved country for exporting pork and pork products to Singapore. Singapore has imported 2,700 tons of frozen pork and other pork products from the USA since the beginning of 2009. There is no import of chilled pork from the USA. During the same period, Singapore only imported processed pork products from the affected US states of California, Texas and Kansas. Properly heat processed products do not pose a risk of swine flu virus. US pork constitutes about 10% of total imported pork and pork products to Singapore. There is also no import of pig lungs into Singapore from any country in the last three years.

Even though there is no danger of contracting swine flu from pork, AVA will test incoming pork imports from the US as well as other sources for flu virus as a precautionary measure.

Imported pigs
Singapore does not import pigs from the USA. Singapore only imports pigs from one AVA-accredited farm located on Pulau Bulan, Indonesia. There is no introduction of pigs from external sources into the farm and it maintains a high level of biosecurity, including strict access of people into the farm and implementing rigorous hygiene and sanitation practices. Pigs in the farm are also regularly vaccinated against swine influenza. AVA inspects the farm regularly to ensure that it implements its biosecurity measures and closely monitors the on-farm disease situation as well as the health of the pigs imported from the farm into Singapore.

The imported pigs are slaughtered in the single pig abattoir in Singapore. The abattoir is regulated by AVA, with inspectors checking on the health of the animals throughout its process, from pre-slaughter to cutting. Although pigs from the farm present a low risk of transmitting swine influenza to humans, AVA has also taken further precautionary measures by requiring abattoir workers and AVA staff, who have contact with pigs to don protective attire, such as face shield and protective clothes. As a standard operating procedure, all lungs are removed for destruction and do not enter the food supply.

AVA will also step up surveillance testing of the pigs from Pulau Bulan to ensure that they are not infected with the virus found in the current outbreaks.

Monitoring of situation

AVA is monitoring the Swine Influenza situation closely and will take all necessary measures, if there is clear evidence of involvement of pigs or pork in the transmission. AVA is already in contact with its counterparts in the US, and will also work closely with MOH and other authorities on this aspect.

Going Bananas?

In this interesting Japanese commercial, Dole Bananas just leaves you going bananas!

It just does not matter if you do not understand Japanese!