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Seafood Services Australia forms global “good news” network
AN international network has been formed to share good news about the health benefits of seafood.
This follows an international workshop held by Seafood Services Australia in Cairns. The network spans Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Mr Roy Palmer, Seafood Services Australia (SSA) Deputy Chair, said there was growing worldwide acknowledgement of the important role of seafood in maintaining good health.
“Research round the world has established the vital role seafood can play in curing, alleviating or avoiding a wide range of serious health problems, including heart disease, stroke, depression, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, rheumatoid arthritis and some cancers,” Mr Palmer said. “In fact, so much work is being conducted by health researchers round the world it is difficult for any one organisation to keep up to date with the latest results. The new international network formed by Seafood Services Australia will help encourage, monitor and report the latest news about the health benefits of seafood.
“It has been shown conclusively that greater seafood consumption will help people live longer, healthier lives and has the potential to save thousands of Australians from premature death and save billions of dollars a year in health care costs. SSA’s network will be highlighting the latest research results as they as they are released.”
Mr Palmer said SSA had conducted a one-day international workshop and a series of meetings with international researchers in Cairns as part of its “Seafood for Life” program, designed to improve the health of Australians by promoting seafood consumption.
“We took advantage of the fact hundreds of scientists from round the world had gathered in Cairns to attend the biennial conference of the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids & Lipids, ISSFAL,” he said. “These scientists have a common interest in oils, predominantly food oils, and many of them are studying the impact of seafood on human health.
“These are scientists who have come to seafood because they recognise its health benefits, not seafood people looking to promote the product, so they are completely objective regarding the impacts of greater seafood consumption. Nonetheless, they all agree: eating more seafood will help people live longer, healthier lives.”
Mr Palmer said speakers and delegates at the SSA workshop had included: Dr Bob Gibson, Professor of Nutrition & Functional Food Science at the University of Adelaide; Dr Shawn Somerset, Lecturer in Nutrition at Griffith University; Dr Stephen Cunnane, Canada Research Chair in Brain Metabolism and Professor in the Research Centre on Aging at Sherbrooke University, Quebec; Dr Joyce Nettleton, US nutrition educator; Dr Sean Strain, Professor of Human Nutrition and Co-Director of the Centre for Molecular Biosciences at the University of Ulster; and Sarah Crysell from the New Zealand Seafood Industry Council.
SSA had also met with a number of other researchers and seafood industry representatives, including: Dr Joseph Hibbeln, a senior clinical investigator in the Laboratory of Membrane Biophysics & Biochemistry in the US National Institutes of Health (“Institutes”, plural, is correct); Dr Peter Willatts from the Department of Psychology at Dundee University, Scotland; Dr Ray Rice from the UK, Secretary of ISSFAL; Bob Collette from the US National Fisheries Institute; and Dr Bill Lands, now retired after 35 years as a professor of biochemistry at two US universities.
“SSA will continue to communicate regularly with these and other researchers and industry representatives to help monitor and report on the latest discoveries on the health benefits of seafood,” Mr Palmer said. “What has been reinforced immediately from our discussions in Cairns is that there is no healthier ‘centre of plate’ meal item than seafood.
“Taking advantage of the talented pool of specialist scientists that had gathered in Cairns for the ISSFAL conference to obtain significant and specific information regarding the health benefits of seafood proved to be a major success. It was clear that seafood was considered to be the most important part of a regular diet and that the health benefits of seafood have been underplayed for too long,” he said.
“For example, Professor Cunnane spoke in depth about the historical use of seafood and its central role in human evolution, and highlighted our continuing dependency on seafood for brain health from pre-birth right through life. He also made the point that the health secret of seafood involves far more than fish oil, or Omega-3, because it is also rich in essential nutrients such as iodine, zinc, iron and selenium.
Professor Strain has been involved for many years in studying the nutrition of the Seychelles people -- who average 1.3 meals of seafood per day -- and spoke about the importance of giving clear messages to people about the potentially huge benefits from eating seafood at all stages of life.
“Yes, pregnant women should avoid eating large predatory fish such as sharks, swordfish and marlin but the strong evidence is that we must not turn them off seafood per se because it is absolutely necessary in their diets for the health of themselves and more particularly their baby. Regrettably, there has been a failure in this area because inaccurate statements are frightening some women away from seafood entirely during this most critical time in the health of their child.”
Mr Palmer said it was hoped the new international network would help provide up-to-date, sensible, scientifically supported information on seafood consumption.
“As a result of the workshop and related meetings, a global network has been formed to ensure that important scientific evidence is translated into regular language and communicated in an efficient manner, so people are kept abreast of these important findings.
“It has been fantastic to see how other food industries understood the need to include Omega-3s, for example, and for them to promote the benefits in Omega-3 additives or supplements. However, only one natural food product gives a major boost of Omega-3 plus other essential nutrients like iodine, zinc, iron, selenium and folate. That, of course, is seafood.”
SSA Managing Director Ted Loveday said another workshop was being planned for later in the year.
“This first ‘Seafood for Life’ workshop was an absolutely outstanding success,” Mr Loveday said. “It brought together some of the world’s leading nutrition and health researchers and seafood industry participants. It stimulated valuable debate, provided fantastic ideas and led directly to formation of the new global network. Its benefits will be felt amongst the seafood industry and seafood consumers for many years to come.
“We have already begun planning the next workshop, which will probably be held in October and again feature leading international and Australian researchers. Details will be posted on our website as they come to hand.”
He said SSA had established a new website, where further information about the health benefits of seafood was available at SSA health benefits website
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Mr Roy Palmer (0419 528 733)
Mr Ted Loveday (0427 323 663)
Details of the next SSA Network meeting are available on our events calendar. Anyone with interests in the seafood industry is welcome. Please confirm your attendance online.
Key Events
SSA Network Meeting: all people with interests in the seafood industry are welcome.
SSA Events Calendar: details of key events hosted, attended, or promoted by SSA.
Australasian Aquaculture Conference: Adelaide, South Australia, 27 to 30 August 2006
Useful Links
SSA & SSA Network Website: International network of seafood industry people, government agencies, R&D, goods and services providers, etc.
Fish Names Website : For the latest information on fish names standards and amendments.
Seafood Portal: links to seafood producers and seafood companies in Australia and around the world.
Seafood EMS Website : For the latest developments and resources on EMS in the seafood industry.
Fisheries Research & Development Corporation: investing in fisheries R&D
Australian Government Department of Agriculture Fisheries & Forests
Food Standards Australia New Zealand
Seafood Bookshop: Great seafood industry publications and resources.
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