Chinese official : Chinese should eat more potatoes, less rice.

[BoQ77]

Move over rice - the potato is taking root in China

By Wang Qian and Zhong Nan
China Daily/ Asia News Network
Friday, Jan 09, 2015


Officials are quickly gaining an appetite for persuading Chinese consumers to eat more potatoes. Economic planning authorities say the move is aimed at producing more food from the country's limited supplies of irrigation water now that grain imports are rising continuously.

The country's top economic planning body said on Thursday that a programme to add potatoes to China's list of food staples will be expanded substantially.

Xu Shaoshi, minister of the National Development and Reform Commission, said potatoes will be mixed into bread, steamed buns and noodles to suit Chinese consumers' taste and habits.

The Ministry of Agriculture will ensure that potatoes comprise up to 30 per cent of the materials for these products, Xu said.

"As many compound food products have already been made and tested, the potato will soon be Chinese people's newest staple food, after rice, wheat and corn," Xu said at a meeting in Beijing to discuss national grain distribution work.

According to information obtained from the meeting, the Ministry of Agriculture is planning for 50 per cent of China's annual production of potatoes to be consumed as a staple food on the domestic market by 2020.

Raising consumption of potatoes will not compromise land already cultivated for wheat, rice and corn, officials said.

Hu Zengmin, an analyst at the China National Grain and Oils Information Center in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, said development of potatoes as a new food staple will help China to optimize its food resources and strengthen security of its future grain supply.

Hu said China has continued to import more international grain, in particular corn and wheat, in recent years.


This is because its rising grain output cannot catch up with increasing consumption and diversified food varieties, including two big grain users－the modernized food supply chain and livestock.

Sun Maojun, a researcher at the Institute of Food and Nutrition Development under the Ministry of Agriculture, said that besides guaranteeing China's food safety, making the potato a staple is also crucial to protecting the diminishing water table in the drought-prone northern plain.

"Potatoes need much less water than grain, giving hope that the arid north has a sustainable future," Sun said.

 

[TaiShang]

Boq77's title, who got banned anyways, is misleading. It is not replacing one staple food with another (it will not compromise the existing land dedicated to the production of rice and other grains), but adding one more to the list, which makes sense in terms of increasing the nation's food security.

***

China officially adds potatoes as staple diet
PTIJan 7, 2015, 01.04PM IST

BEIJING: The potato will soon be China's latest staple diet after rice, wheat and corn and 50 per cent of annual production of potatoes will be consumed as a staple food by 2020 to improve the food security in the world's most populous nation, officials said today.

China will turn potatoes into noodles, steamed bread and other staple food products, converting potatoes to a series of manufactured food items, leading to a healthier diet, the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) said in a statement.

The addition of potatoes as another staple food was consistent with the government's policy of adjusting the agriculture structure to achieve sustainable development, Yu Xinrong, a deputy director of the MOA, said.

"It was an attempt to ensure food security, ease the pressure on the environment and increase the income of farmers," Yu said.

The MOA also vowed to make a "distinct" increase in potato production in the next few years.

Popularising the consumption of potatoes would not compromise the existing cultivated land for wheat, rice and corn, the statement added.

Experts suggested that techniques of processing potatoes will also be improved. They also called for a campaign to promote the consumption of potatoes.

Liu Lan, the general secretary of the China Dietitian Association, admitted that China is under pressure with a huge population but limited farmland, which makes potatoes a perfect supplement to the present staple food system of China.

"As the vegetable is easy to grow even in barren lands, it would also guarantee food supply. The potato is of higher nutritional value compared with rice and wheat flour, which lose considerable dietary fiber and nutrients during processing," Liu said.

"The decision would encourage the increased planting of potatoes and bring some improvements to the food processing industry, but this would require greater government support," Guo Baoqing, the deputy director of the data centre of cngran.com, said.

Guo said the greatest challenge is changing the consumption habits of the Chinese people.

"With abundant production of traditional staple food in China, most people still eat rice or wheat. It will take much longer before people change their eating habits," Guo added.

 

[dichoi]

Ya, thread creater is banned.
This is nothing wrong here. Imported potatoe from China is cheaper than domestic potatoe in Vietnam.

 

[Vassnti]

Sadly Chinese are eating a lot more potatoes already

For example, a study conducted at the German Institute of Human Health found a link between weight gain and consumption of a Western diet high in processed meats, refined grains, sugar, and potatoes. A 2012 study published in the journal Circulation found that Chinese men and women who consume Western fast food more than twice a week were at higher risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. According to Dr. Tsung Cheng at George Washington University Medical Center, “fast food and physical inactivity” are the two most important factors fueling childhood obesity in China.

Western Fast Food Chains Flourish in China, Rates of Obesity and Diabetes Skyrocket | Food Tank

 

[+4vsgorillas-Apebane]

Potatoes are delicious. As a vegetarian, potatoes provide me with a hearty meal in very simple dishes.

Looks like Boq77 got banned after making his best post.

 

[Keel]

Sadly Chinese are eating a lot more potatoes already

For example, a study conducted at the German Institute of Human Health found a link between weight gain and consumption of a Western diet high in processed meats, refined grains, sugar, and potatoes. A 2012 study published in the journal Circulation found that Chinese men and women who consume Western fast food more than twice a week were at higher risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. According to Dr. Tsung Cheng at George Washington University Medical Center, “fast food and physical inactivity” are the two most important factors fueling childhood obesity in China.

Western Fast Food Chains Flourish in China, Rates of Obesity and Diabetes Skyrocket | Food Tank

What is your colour?

Anyway, I am against waste, and waste of food like overeating is a sin and it is damaging to health. China is becoming more obese. It is very bad.

It is good that the government is fighting against it through these TV promo and program

cctv-13 公益广告-请节约粮食—在线播放—优酷网，视频高清在线观看
《北京市厉行节约反对食品浪费实施方案》-20140924特别关注-凤凰视频-最具媒体品质的综合视频门户-凤凰网

More exercise:

 

[TaiShang]

What is your colour?

Anyway, I am against waste, and waste of food like overeating is a sin and it is damaging to health. China is becoming more obese. It is very bad.

It is good that the government is fighting against it through these TV promo and program
cctv-13 公益广告-请节约粮食—在线播放—优酷网，视频高清在线观看
《北京市厉行节约反对食品浪费实施方案》-20140924特别关注-凤凰视频-最具媒体品质的综合视频门户-凤凰网

More exercise:

The China-sphere (including the lovely province of Taiwan) is definitely more health-conscious.

 

[Reashot Xigwin]

Potatoes are delicious. As a vegetarian, potatoes provide me with a hearty meal in very simple dishes.

Looks like Boq77 got banned after making his best post.

Huzzah! Now if only Niceguy can join his rank.

 

[frequency]

interesting..

 

[$@rJen]

Doesn't potato makes you fat??

 

[Aepsilons]

As a vegetarian,

You're a vegetarian ? No more Peiking duck?

 

[AgentOrange]

You're a vegetarian ? No more Peiking duck?

The following link explains our friend's dietary preferences.

Gorilla - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Edit: Unfortunately, that wikipedia article lacks any mention of what would happen if a gorilla got into a fight with a tiger shark. I'm thoroughly disappointed.

 

[gambit]

Doesn't potato makes you fat??

No. It is not that difficult to find nutrition comparison between potato vs rice, but overall, even plain white potato is more nutrition packed than plain white rice. To match the 'regular' potato, the rice have to be enhanced somehow and US rice growers have to enrich white rice with other nutrients like folic acid, thiamine, and iron. Potato with skin on is practically the best when compare to rice, even brown rice.

I eat rice everyday because I grew up with rice. But regarding the perception that potato is more likely to make you fat, it is from the many flavoring add-on that people everywhere uses on the potato. In America, it is ketchup. In France, it is mustard. The bland taste of potato and rice pretty much compels people to pile on these condiments. Deep fried potato is calorie packed from the oil, not the potato itself, but deep fried seasoned potato with skin on is much tastier and that is where the weight gain came from.

Every culture that eat potato have a 'killer' potato based dish and in the US, it is the 'chili cheese fries'...

Zesty Chili Cheese Fries Recipe : Food Network

Once in a while, I will make a large plate of chili cheese fries for my after work-out meal. Tastes great but this dish will kill ya...

 

[terranMarine]

but you are still alive

 

[Aepsilons]

Huzzah! Now if only Niceguy can join his rank.

If only niceguy can learn to be "nice" instead of agitating. Also, someone should really take his popcorns away.

>_<''

No. It is not that difficult to find nutrition comparison between potato vs rice, but overall, even plain white potato is more nutrition packed than plain white rice. To match the 'regular' potato, the rice have to be enhanced somehow and US rice growers have to enrich white rice with other nutrients like folic acid, thiamine, and iron. Potato with skin on is practically the best when compare to rice, even brown rice.

I eat rice everyday because I grew up with rice. But regarding the perception that potato is more likely to make you fat, it is from the many flavoring add-on that people everywhere uses on the potato. In America, it is ketchup. In France, it is mustard. The bland taste of potato and rice pretty much compels people to pile on these condiments. Deep fried potato is calorie packed from the oil, not the potato itself, but deep fried seasoned potato with skin on is much tastier and that is where the weight gain came from.

Every culture that eat potato have a 'killer' potato based dish and in the US, it is the 'chili cheese fries'...

Zesty Chili Cheese Fries Recipe : Food Network

Once in a while, I will make a large plate of chili cheese fries for my after work-out meal. Tastes great but this dish will kill ya...

Have you tried sweet potato fries ? There's a place in Chicago known as "Hot Doug's" , they serve excellent Chitown-style hot dogs, and to-die-for sweet potatoe fries (served with foie gras!!)

nom nom nom!