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Chinese Nutrition Society Working with Nestle to Initiate the Strategic Cooperation of "School Nutrition and Health across China"

-- Contributing to a healthier future with school nutrition
Nestle (China) Ltd.
2017-05-24 14:00 4522

BEIJING, May 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Mothers know that nutrition plays an important role in their children's growth and development. So how good is Chinese mums' behavior, attitude, skills, or knowledge on nutrition for kids? Recently, the Chinese Nutrition Society worked with Nestle on a survey among 6- to 12-year-old children from 12 middle and big cities, indicating that the Chinese mums are not quite reaching the recommended standards for children's nutrition.

Chinese Nutrition Society Working with Nestle to Initiate the Strategic Cooperation of "School Nutrition and Health across China"
Chinese Nutrition Society Working with Nestle to Initiate the Strategic Cooperation of "School Nutrition and Health across China"

This morning, at the 13th China Nutrition Science Congress (13th CNSC 2017) convened by the Chinese Nutrition Society, school nutrition experts announced key results of the survey at the "School Nutrition Seminar", showing that parents' lack of nutrition knowledge and students' unbalanced diet habits are becoming increasingly common. 57.6% of the surveyed mothers do not think it's necessary to have cereal products in each meal, while 71% believe that an appropriate selection of snacks will not affect the intake of meals.

In a bid to raise the public awareness on correct school nutrition mindsets and comprehensive nutrition knowledge, and to support the healthy growth of the next generation in China, the Chinese Nutrition Society and Nestle have formally started off the strategic cooperation on the "School Nutrition and Health across China". Yang Yuexin, director of the Society, noted: "The cooperation aims to actively popularize the school nutrition principles introduced in the Children Dietary Guidelines, and spread school nutrition knowledge to parents nationwide by a variety of online and offline activities. By doing so, the Chinese "new generation" would seize the precious 'six golden years' for physical growth to maintain sound health."

Chinese Nutrition Society Working with Nestle to Initiate the Strategic Cooperation of "School Nutrition and Health across China"
Chinese Nutrition Society Working with Nestle to Initiate the Strategic Cooperation of "School Nutrition and Health across China"

Enhancing nutritional intake in a scientific way, children's "six golden years" are too important to miss

Ma Guansheng, vice director-general of the Society, demonstrated: "it has been scientifically proven that the 'six golden years' are significant for 6- to 12-year-old children to physically grow up and develop diet habits. Nutrition supplements at this stage are crucial for children. Since 6- to 12-year-old children are studying at school and physically growing quickly, they have greater demands for energy and nutrition than adults. Adequate nutrition secures their intellectual and physical development, and even lifelong health."

However, the survey under the joint efforts of Nestle and the Society shows that there are many problems in the nutrition intake of Chinese children during their "six golden years". Only 10% of students have a choice of more than 12 types of food in a day; whereas, only 38% of students have sufficient nutrients in their daily breakfast. In the meantime, 61.8% of the students consume less milk and dairy than recommended in the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese School-age Children (2016)".

How should school-age children intake key nutrients?

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2016), over 12 types of food should be eaten every day, and more than 25 types every week; cereal-based food diversity holds the key to a balanced diet. Cereal products as the first layer of the dietary pyramid, have the "biggest share" in the diets of Chinese residents.

The Dietary Guidelines for Chinese School-age Children (2016) emphasizes: firstly, having a good breakfast: breakfast contributes 25% to 30% of total energy for the day. It should be eaten every day and sufficient nutrition should be ensured. A correct amount of whole grain food is crucial for health; secondly, drink milk every day: consume 300 ml or equivalent amount of dairy products every day to meet bone growth needs.

There are more than 150 million 5- to 14-year-old school children, accounting for 11% of the total population. So their health has a significant implication on China's future social development. Marianne Tsanis, vice president of Dairy Business Unit, Nestle Greater China, said, "Research has shown that parents are concerned about their children's nutrition and health, but micronutrient deficiency of school children is still an issue, given this, education on school kids nutrition has become essential to students, parents and professional educators."

School Nutrition and Health across China helps spread children's nutrition knowledge

Nestle is working with the Chinese Nutrition Society to launch the strategic cooperation of the "School Nutrition and Health across China", in a bid to actively promote the school nutrition concepts advocated in the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese School-age Children (2016). The strategic initiative encompasses: continuing the survey on parent's attitude, knowledge, skills and behavior status towards the nutrition of 6- to12-year-old students from 12 cities in China so as to know how they understand children's dietary guidelines and their actual situations in their daily life; the promoting caravans of the "School Nutrition and Health across China" program will penetrate into 30 second-, third-, and fourth-tier cities, school nutrition experts from the Chinese Nutrition Society will join in to increase the literacy of school children's dietary guidelines, and interact with parents in the Q & A session; spread children's nutrition knowledge to parents across China via internet, mobile and other digital platforms; as school nutrition consultants, the experts will offer parents with solutions to school nutrition by means of Weibo, WeChat, articles, live webcasts among other channels.

Under the strong support of Nestle, the School Nutrition Seminar brought together leading experts in school nutrition across China. Nestle and the experts actively advocate the school nutrition principles recommended by the dietary guidelines, strive to provide Chinese mums with more scientific school nutrition solutions, and will witness the brilliant growth millions within the "six golden years" of children with tens of millions of mums.

Marianne Tsanis, vice president of Dairy Business Unit, Nestle Greater China, said, "Nestle believes that every choice made by mums is vital to the growth and development of their children. One of the missions of Nestle dairy business unit is to help mothers nurture their children's growth, with customized nutrition solutions that meet their needs today and contribute to a healthier future."

Chinese Nutrition Society Working with Nestle to Initiate the Strategic Cooperation of "School Nutrition and Health across China"
Chinese Nutrition Society Working with Nestle to Initiate the Strategic Cooperation of "School Nutrition and Health across China"

Extended Reading:

As a world leading company committed to "Nutrition, Health and Wellness", Nestle has been providing nutritious, healthy and tasty food and services for consumers for more than 150 years.

Nestle knows the needs of school children for customized nutrition, and makes efforts to provide Chinese mums with more scientific solutions to school nutrition based on the largest food and health R&D network. To meet the full demands for protein and nutrients of school-age children, Nestle upgraded its formula of student milk powder in early 2017, adopting an imported milk source in "a scientific ratio" to support the growth with tripartite nutrition; NESPRAY Golden Start 3 in 1 Student Oat Porridge has been introduced to meet school age children's overall demands for balanced nutrition in breakfast, to make greater growth.

Nestle student milk products follow the guidelines of "cultivate with care, apply well nutrition" and is committed to being the leading brand in school nutrition, while shouldering the mission of "acting in alliance with mums to witness the growth of children in the six golden years".

Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20170524/1856411-1-a
Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20170524/1856411-1-b
Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20170524/1856411-1-c

Source: Nestle (China) Ltd.
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