Nutrition and food safety in China: problems, countermeasures and prospects

Abstract

Economic development and the evolution of food industry not only help to meet the human needs for food, but also cause worldwide health problems. Due to the imbalance of economic development and the difference of dietary habits, the population in China is faced with the problem of excessive food intake, obesity and the possible deficiency of some nutrients. In the past few decades, the food industry has profoundly affected people's intake patterns of nutrients such as energy, fat, salt and added sugar, as well as changed the nutritional structure of food and the risk of exposure to harmful substances. Food contamination caused by pathogenic microorganisms, pesticides and heavy metals are serious concerns. The dietary guidelines for Chinese residents provide basic principles for guiding the dietary behaviors of the public, but their implementation is hampered by people's lack of understanding of food and nutrition, traditional dietary habits, media misinformation and other factors. How to provide healthy and safe food for the people is an important issue at present. This paper discusses some basic concepts of healthy diet, how to promote healthy eating habits through education, how to preserve and process food to maintain nutrition, how to control food safety hazards, and other dietary related approaches that can promote health.