Experts on nutrition and public health are calling on leaders in the food industry to speed up the elimination of industrially produced trans fatty acids from the foods they produce and distribute, and to become partners in promoting healthy diets throughout the Americas. The call came at a meeting convened last week by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) to present the conclusions of a Trans Fat Free Americas Task Force to food producers and distributors and to hear industry plans for phasing trans fats out of food supplies in the hemisphere.

Many of the companies represented have already taken steps to phase trans fats out of their products. PAHO Assistant Director, Dr. Carissa Etienne, applauded them, saying: "I would like to congratulate the wide range of voluntary actions that your respective companies have taken or are considering in order to eliminate industrially produced trans fatty acids from your products that are widely available in the region of Latin America and the Caribbean. These actions indicate your willingness to respond to consumer health concerns that will also serve to increase consumer confidence and enhance brand reputation."

Among companies represented at the meeting were Burger King, Inc., Cargill Inc., ConMéxico (Consejo Mexicano de la Industria de Productos de Consumo A.C.), Grupo ARCOR, Kraft Foods, Kellogg Company, McDonald's Corporation, Nestlé, PepsiCo, SADIA, SA, Watt's SA and Yum! Brands, Inc.

- Source: Pan American Health Organisation

The Dengue epidemic

Health ministers from the Americas have agreed to increase the responses to the dengue epidemic which has caused more than 3.4 million cases and 982 deaths between 2001 and 2006. The Pan American Health Organisation's manager of Health Surveillance and Disease Management, Dr. Jarbas Barbosa da Silva, told ministers at last week's Pan American Sanitary Conference that dengue is a serious threat to the region. "The dengue epidemiological situation in the region continues to be highly complex and is obliging us to redouble efforts toward implementation of the Integrated Management Strategy," he said.

In a report presented to the meeting of all health ministers, Dr. Barbosa noted, "All four serotypes (DEN 1, 2, 3, and 4) are in circulation, which increases the risk for appearance of the most serious forms of the disease - namely, dengue haemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome."

Southern Cone countries, he said, account for 60 per cent of all dengue cases in the Americas, and within this sub-region, Brazil has the largest number. The Andean sub-region is next, with 19 per cent of cases, with Colombia and Venezuela having the most reports, highest incidence rates, and more than 60 per cent of all cases of dengue haemorrhagic fever. Some countries in the Caribbean and Central American sub-regions also had high incidence rates, including French Guiana, Martinique, Costa Rica and Honduras.

- Source: Pan American Health Organisation