BEIJING — The China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment on Wednesday clarified that dextrin, an additive used in infant formula and other foods, within required limits will not cause malnutrition or other health problems.

Dextrins, a group of soluble polysaccharides formed from starch, are widely used as an allowed ingredient in the food industry to help the dissolving of milk powder and enhance digestion of the foods, according to a statement posted online by the center.

The statement was made in response to recent public concern about the safety of milk powder after media reports of dextrin adulterated in a number of such products.

According to China’s national standard for infant formula, the amount of lactose in dairy-based formula food for babies under 12 months should be no less than 90 percent of the total carbohydrates, the statement said.

That means the content of dextrins and other precooked and gelatinized starch additives should not exceed 10 percent of the total carbohydrates in the products in question. This requirement is stricter than the international standard, that sets the maximum content of starches added in infant formula at 30 percent, said Han Junhua, an expert with the center.

China sets no minimum requirement of lactose content in foods for older babies, and that is in line with international standards. However, these foods should meet nutritional standards concerning energy, protein, vitamin and mineral elements, the statement said. (Xinhua)

Never-ending online 3D book allows worldwide sharing of Christmas wishes messages

Bratislava, Slovakia (MMD Newswire) December 13, 2011 — Have a special Christmas wish? It could be the wish heard ’round the world. 3D web design company SUNAEON has launched a website, www.Christmas-Wishes-Book.com, that allows people all over the world to share their holiday hopes and dreams in a unique – and never-ending – 3D “book.” This project gathers Christmas messages from people around the globe in a single place, allowing everyone to express his or her thoughts to the world, and even to send those sentiments as a Christmas e-card.

“I believe that by uniting wishes from all over the world, we can create a unique Christmas story,” says Marian Bayer, product development leader for SUNAEON. Bayer also notes that the late Mother Teresa said, “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” Christmas-Wishes-Book.com definitely makes those kind words easy to speak, or rather to write; it’s free for all users, who need only log onto the Web site and follow the easy, intuitive instructions.

Says Bayer, “Christmas-Wishes-Book.com is a site for everyone who enjoys Christmas – people of every age, gender, nationality, and race.”

Christmas-Wishes-Book.com has only been up and running for a short time, but has already established itself as a grab bag of goodies, much like Forrest Gump’s axiomatic box of chocolates. It’s a forum for the sweet and the whimsical, the serious and the silly, the profound and the humorous. All voices are welcome, and hundreds of Christmas wishes and messages have been added so far, ranging from expressions of longings for world peace and freedom, to personal Yuletide messages to loved ones, to an exhortation to Santa to “lose the beard.” Navigation buttons allow for effortless maneuvering through the wish book.

Bayer says that Christmas-Wishes-Book.com is the first online book of its kind that allows all people to share and send their Christmas wishes. It’s designed to be a fun experience. “The unique 3D design, with its animated Christmas ambiance, offers an unusual way for people to express themselves and to send and share Christmas e-cards,” says Bayer. “And by writing wishes and sending them, you bring joy to your family, friends, and to the world. If that doesn’t get you in the Christmas spirit, nothing will.”

SUNAEON is a European-based creative team offering some of the most progressive sites in the field of 3D, featuring unique animated models, while at the same time striving to be as user-friendly

Article source: PRNewswire

FEMA, National Commission On Children And Disasters Announce New Partnership To Promote Fire Safety Awareness For Families

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (MMD Newswire) February 21, 2011 — With home fires on the rise in winter months, and a new study showing that young children are at an especially high risk of getting seriously injured or dying in residential fires, today the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Commission on Children and Disasters are announcing a new public awareness campaign to help keep children and families safer from the threat of home fires.

As part of this effort, FEMA’s U.S. Fire Administration is releasing a new report on the risks fires pose to children. The report, which is based on the latest available data released by the National Center for Health Statistics, found that young children face the greatest – and a growing – risk of death or serious injury in home fires. As such, 52 percent of all child fire deaths in 2007 involved children under the age of four. This was a slight increase from the most recent study previously conducted in 2004. Click here for a copy of the report.

“When you take some time this week to practice and learn about proper fire safety for families, especially children, you are taking the initial steps toward protecting your household from the risks and dangers associated with fires,” said FEMA Region III Regional Administrator

Ms. MaryAnn Tierney. “Practicing proper fire safety will help you to empower yourself as well as your family to become household emergency managers.”

In addition, the report found that:

* Deaths from fires and burns were the second leading cause of accidental deaths not related to transportation, after drowning;

* Boys are at higher-risk of dying from fires than girls;

* Between 2006 and 2008, smoke alarms were not present in at least 23 percent of residential fires;

* African-American children are at an increased risk of fire deaths; and

* Low-income children are at greatest risk of exposure to home fires.

To help families protect their homes and loved ones – especially young children – from fires, FEMA, the U.S. Fire Administration and the National Commission on Children and Disasters are asking families to take simple steps now to prevent fires in their residences, and partnering with leading organizations across the fire, emergency medical services, public health and emergency management fields to get the message out.

To provide families with important tips about fire safety and lists of additional resources, FEMA is launching online and social media tools,

Article source: PRNewswire

UK (MMD Newswire) March 1, 2011 — A new £33.5 million project will follow 90,000 British children from birth to tell us more about the factors affecting the health and happiness of society, Universities and Science Minister David Willetts announced today.

In a speech given at the British Academy, David Willetts confirmed that the Birth Cohort Facility Project will bring together the UK’s leading portfolio of cohort studies starting in 1946, and includes a new birth cohort study starting in 2012. This will involve children and families from all backgrounds across the UK, and is nearly five times bigger than the previous study conducted in 2000.

For the first time in a study of this kind, a series of samples will be collected from parents and the child. This will reveal more than ever before about the complex interplay between social, economic, biological, environmental and health related experiences and conditions, and how they relate to problems later in life.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP, said:

“This Government is committed to the long term – to making decisions today that will promote a better future: a more prosperous economy, and a fairer society. In order to tackle intergenerational social mobility, breaking the pattern of deprivation being passed from one generation to the next, we need to know more about long-term outcomes from birth. The Birth Cohort Study will improve the evidence base we need to make the right investments in our drive to break down the barriers to a fairer society.”

Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts said:

“Birth cohort studies provide a unique insight into all the factors affecting people’s lives and are central to our understanding of child development. They produce powerful evidence that informs Government policy on a wide range of issues, including social mobility, inequality, education and public health.

“This is turn has positive economic impacts through changes in the delivery of public services, earlier diagnosis of diseases and improvements in quality of life.

“The 2012 study is the largest yet. This research will help us understand more about the needs of individuals than ever before, and ultimately strengthen the fabric of our society.”

Previous studies have provided groundbreaking research on the dangers of excessive drinking amongst young people, the consequences of teenage births for parents and their children and the role that child growth and development plays in cardiovascular disease and other health disorders.

The Birth Cohort Facility Project will create a UK centre of excellence, facilitating comparative analyses of data across previous studies, and helping illuminate how health and

Article source: PRNewswire

Provision Expands Safety Net against Childhood Hunger and Promotes Healthy Lifestyles

WASHINGTON, DC (MMD Newswire) March 2, 2011 — USDA today announced that children placed into the foster care system by a state or court are categorically eligible to receive free meals in all USDA child nutrition programs. The expansion of categorical eligibility to foster children is a component of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 which President Obama signed into law December 13, 2010.

“Ensuring all children receive nutritious meals at school and through other child nutrition programs is a top priority for the Obama administration and a key step toward winning a healthy future for the next generation of Americans, ” said Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Kevin Concannon. “Categorical eligibility is a vital tool to simplify and expedite enrolling eligible children in school meal programs.”

HHS’ Administration for Children and Families’ (ACF), which partnered with USDA in today’s announcement, administers grants for foster care, runs the federal Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) and oversees state child welfare agencies. ACF stressed the importance of helping foster children and families have better access to school lunches.

“Ensuring foster children have access to healthy, balanced and nutritious meals without the burden of unnecessary eligibility paperwork shows our commitment in providing the best quality of life for many deserving children and their families,” said David A. Hansell, HHS acting assistant secretary for children and families.

According to the most current AFCARS report, there were approximately 423,773 children in the U. S. in foster care on September 30, 2009. This new provision will help reduce administrative burdens on states, schools and those foster care families by certifying eligible foster children for free meals in the National School Lunch and other Child Nutrition Programs without the need for an application. The National School Lunch Program serves nearly 32 million children nutritious meals each school day and is a critical component of the national nutrition safety net that safeguards children against hunger.

“This is just one of many critical provisions in the recently passed Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act that provide kids greater access to healthy food and a more healthful lifestyle,” said Concannon. “We look forward to working with our schools and our other essential partners across the country as we continue to implement this important Act.”

Improving child nutrition is the focal point of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act signed by President Obama in December 2010. The legislation authorizes USDA’S child nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch, School Breakfast,

Article source: PRNewswire