Beijing News reporters sought confirmation from the WHO, who denied publishing the list; experts pointed out that the classification of online "junk food" was unscientific.

Since 2003, a list of ten junk foods published by the World Health Organization has been widely circulated in China. Food such as ham, fat, canned, ice cream and other people's daily consumption is on the list.

Over the past 12 years, authoritative news websites such as Xinhua and Renmin. com, as well as traditional media such as Chongqing Morning Post and Old Man's Daily have also reprinted the list.

There are also some local businesses, education authorities and consumers' associations to give tips to the public on this list. In March this year, the Changsha County industrial and commercial bureau announced the list of the ten junk foods to remind parents to correctly guide their children to spend. Last September, the Kunming Consumer Association issued a consumer warning to remind junk food to get out of your life. Last June 21st, the Shandong Provincial Department of Education issued an open letter to remind primary and middle school students not to eat ten junk food.

A reporter from the Beijing News recently sought confirmation from the World Health Organization (WHO), which explicitly dispelled the rumor that "WHO has never published a list of junk food". That is to say, the list of the ten big junk foods is totally empty.

Domestic food experts also pointed out that there is no concept of "junk food" in the scientific nutrition circle, and the classification and expression of "junk food" in the list is not scientific. Improper cooking methods, excessive or unbalanced "junk eating" make food a "junk" that affects health.

"Ten big junk food list" may be processed from China

According to the Chongqing Morning Post on August 16, 2013, the list of the top 10 junk food items was published at the 113th Session of the World Health Organization.

However, a Beijing News reporter inquired about the schedule of WHO sessions and found that the 113th WHO session was held in January 2004. Subsequently, a press survey found that the list appeared in some industry periodicals as early as 2003. Among them, "Hebei enterprises" in 2003 ninth period forty-third pages, "coastal environment" in 2003 twelfth period twenty-seventh pages all published the "WHO published ten junk food" detailed list.

Inquiry abroad website, the reporter has not found the international authority website or the mainstream media has done the report to this "ten big junk food list" published by the World Health Organization, but in the official meeting record of the World Health Organization, the name of the list has not appeared.

Collation found that a large number of network reloads came from domestic websites, and the list contents were all Chinese versions. The analysis shows that the list is not from foreign research institutes, but probably from China, and is "concocted" by the Chinese.

This list covers almost the vast majority of people's daily consumption of food, including: fried food, soda cola, processed meat, plum fruit, biscuits, convenience food, canned food, barbecue food, frozen dessert food, pickled food.

The who said he had never released a "junk food list"

According to the "ten big junk food issued by the WHO" on the Internet, the WHO responsible person formally clarified in an interview with the Beijing News in April 24th. "WHO has never issued a list of junk food."

So far, the "famous" list, which has been spreading in China for 12 years, has been proved to be virtually nothing.

The head of the World Health Organization introduced to the new Beijing News reporter that the World Health Organization has been giving general advice on a healthy diet of vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts and grains, while reducing the intake of salt, sugar and fat, but has never issued a list of "junk food".

But what is "junk food" and its impact on health? WHO did not give a clear definition, and its replies to reporters have always focused on "three high" (high salt, high sugar, high fat) foods.

The World Health Organization says there are plenty of documents and sufficient evidence that high salt, high sugar and high fat diet will lead to obesity, as well as chronic diseases such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. Therefore, the recommendations of the World Health Organization for a healthy diet include: eat more fruits, vegetables, soy products, nuts and grains; reduce the intake of salt, sugar and fat. At the same time, it is recommended to choose unsaturated fats and avoid trans fatty acids intake.

There is no "junk food" in the scientific nutrition community

Domestic food and nutrition experts also say that the list of junk food distributed on the Internet is not scientific.

Jiang Zhuoqin, vice director of the Institute of preventive medicine of Zhongshan University, director of the Department of nutrition of the school of public health, introduced to the reporter of the new Beijing newspaper that there is no "junk food" in the scientific nutrition community. "It is normal to release all kinds of substances because of the different cooking methods of food, which can't be said to be junk food."

Zhu Yi, an associate professor of food science and nutrition engineering at the China Agricultural University, said, "junk food is not a scientific statement itself. The word does not have a strict quantitative definition, but a folk custom." Although government organizations, non-governmental organizations and mainstream science, including the World Health Organization, also believe that food with too much junk food is not conducive to a balanced diet, "it is not scientific to direct a certain kind of food into junk food without specific circumstances."

Zhu Yi said that there are two definitions of "junk food", one is the provision of heat, the other is very deficient.