Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection and Centre for Food Safety revealed its new study about the food schoolchildren consumed regularly on Wednesday, August 29. The two institutions found young students' lunches had less salt, sugar, and fat, but it had too much protein and lacked in dietary fiber.
Centre for Health Protection and Centre for Food Safety tested and collected 100 lunchbox samples from 26 primary schools in January. Assistant director of health Dr. Anne Fung Yu-kei revealed the test results showed improvements in the food's nutrient levels compared to the last study made five years ago.
"Total fats, saturated fats, trans fats and sugars in more than 90 percent of the lunch samples were below the upper limits of recommended intake," Fung said, per the South China Morning Post. She was also proud to see a significant drop in the number of "average sodium content" per kid's lunch. From 951mg in 2013, it was down to 818mg today.
However, Fung believed it would still take a decade before Hong Kong maintained the right amount of 500mg of salt per kid's meal. Health authorities wanted to reduce the sodium level intake by five to 10 percent each year.
According to Yahoo News Singapore, too much salt intake can increase the risk of hypertension, which can also cause heart disease, stroke, and other non-transmissible diseases.
The officials also eyed to develop children's consumption of dietary fiber. Fung revealed, the dietary fiber content is 5.1g, which is higher than the recommended 4g. But 40 percent of the lunchbox samples they collected only contained less than the recommended amount.
Dietary fiber helps to prevent constipation and cardiovascular diseases. It also aids to maintain body weight. The lack of it can increase the risk of colorectal cancer.
Unfortunately, in spite of less sugar and salt intake, Centre for Health Protection and Centre for Food Safety also found out there was a surprising increase of mean protein in children's lunchbox. The essential nutrient's recommended consumption is 13.3g, but the students' meal contained 21.6g.
Fung explained it might have a connection to the kids' non-vegetarian diet. Protein is important for the children's growth and development. However, too much of it can damage their kidneys and liver.
The U.S. and Britain revealed their way to make the children get used to eating less salty food was to introduce it gradually. Apart from cutting the sodium content in their food, guardians should also keep their meals a proportion of three grains, two vegetables, and one meat.
