DH joins Ocean Park to promote fruit eating in Joyful Fruit Month this April (with photo)

DH joins Ocean Park to promote fruit eating in Joyful Fruit Month this April (with photo)
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     The Department of Health (DH) has designated April 2013 as Joyful Fruit Month to encourage the public to develop a daily habit of eating fruit for the sake of better health.

     Officiating at the Joyful Fruit Month launch ceremony at the Ocean Park today (March 26), the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man, said, "According to a survey commissioned by the DH, only one-fifth of adults consume a sufficient amount of fruit and vegetables on a daily basis."

     According to the Behavioural Risk Factor Survey conducted among adults in 2012, only 17.3 per cent of the respondents had a sufficient intake which was equivalent to five or more servings of fruit and vegetables per day. The younger the respondents, the more likely they were to consume fewer than five servings of fruit and vegetables per day.

     Dr Ko said that the DH has raised the profile of the Joyful Fruit Day of previous years to the Joyful Fruit Month in April this year to promote fruit eating in schools and in the community to encourage the general public to develop a good habit of eating fruit.

     "We are glad that the number of participating schools in the Joyful Fruit Month activities this year reached to a record high of 1 250 schools, with the involvement of more than 490 000 students," Dr Ko said.

     Also officiating at the launch ceremony today, the Deputy Chief Executive of the Ocean Park, Mr Matthias Li, said that in support of the Joyful Fruit Month, the Park will introduce healthy fruit dishes in its restaurants to encourage guests to eat more fruit.

     Mr Li said, "The Park has been playing a leading role in promoting sensible eating, such as promoting low-carbon dishes, offering sustainable seafood, and introducing new dishes with fruit as ingredients as the DH's special partner for celebrating Joyful Fruit Month. Messages about the benefits of fruit eating are brought to our local and overseas guests as well as our staff. Moreover, the Park also provides our animal ambassadors with ample fruit for the sake of better health."

     To echo with the theme of this month-long campaign, "More than Fruit!", the Park will offer a variety of fruit-filled, high-fibre and less-oil recipes in its food outlets from March 29 to May 5 and increase the fruit supply in the Park by 30 per cent. In addition, the Park will install education panels displaying the benefits of eating fruit, as well as animal fun facts about fruit in various animal attraction sites.

     The DH launched the annual Joyful Fruit Day in the 2006/07 school year as one of the highlights of the EatSmart@school.hk Campaign to promote the daily fruit eating habit among teachers and students. This year, while designating April as Joyful Fruit Month to promote fruit eating in the community throughout the month, all secondary, primary and pre-primary institutions are encouraged to take part in year-round activities to boost students' interest in fruit eating. By doing so, it is hoped to promote health of students in the long run.

     More information on the Joyful Fruit Month activities is available at the EatSmart@school.hk Campaign website (school.eatsmart.gov.hk).

Ends/Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Issued at HKT 16:30

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