China releases report on food, nutrition

BEIJING -- The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) released a report on China's food and nutrition development on Saturday.

The report summed up the trends of China's food and nutrition in recent decades, and presented a series of problems and suggestions.

Since the reform and opening-up, China's food production and supply have increased significantly, with its annual per capita grain supply reaching 600 kilograms, according to the report.

The daily energy supply of Chinese residents has reached 3,400 kcal per person, while the energy, protein and fat supply has continued to increase, said the report, adding that Chinese residents' overall energy supply has reached the average level of middle and high-income countries around the world.

The report also pointed out various problems with the food and nutrition of Chinese residents.

The unreasonable dietary structure of Chinese residents is a prominent problem. Excessive intake of oil, salt and sugar has brought health risks. In addition, the excessive processing of food has led to a loss of nutrition.

In view of the problems, the report put forward a series of policy recommendations.

The report suggested speeding up the transformation of the food system and developing nutrition-oriented agriculture.

The innovation of key and core technologies in poultry and aquaculture industries should be strengthened to increase white meat production and promote healthy diets among residents, the report said.

The report is based on data including the National Bureau of Statistics' macro statistics, the National Health Commission's population nutrition monitoring data, as well as typical sample survey data of rural and urban areas in China.