Celebrity chefs demonstrate gourmet cooking with less salt and sugar

The following is issued on behalf of the Committee on Reduction of Salt and Sugar in Food:

     Celebrity chefs will provide live demonstrations of how to cook dishes low in salt and sugar at the upcoming Food Expo. They will show you that food cooked with less salt and sugar does not have to be bland. There are many ways to cook delicious and healthy dishes, be they Chinese, Western or Asian cuisine.

     This year, the Food and Health Bureau, the Committee on Reduction of Salt and Sugar in Food and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) have again invited celebrity chefs and a noted blogger to demonstrate cooking with less salt and sugar, with a view to promoting the culture of a low-salt-and-sugar diet. The cooking demonstrations will be held at the Food Expo's Gourmet Zone Star Kitchen (Hall 3B, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre). Details are as follows:

Cooking Demo:      Vegan Way of Western Thai
Date:                    August 16 (Thursday)
Time:                   12.30pm to 1.15pm
Chef:                    Bonnie Yves

Cooking Demo:      Master Wong and His Canton Kitchen
Date:                    August 16 (Thursday)
Time:                    5.30pm to 6.15pm
Chef:                    Wong Wing-keung

Cooking Demo:      The French Extravaganza
Date:                    August 17 (Friday)
Time:                    12.30pm to 1.15pm
Chef:                     Edward Voon

Cooking Demo:      Simon's Homemade Cookbook
Date:                    August 19 (Sunday)
Time:                    5.30pm to 6.15pm
Chef:                    Simon Yam

     In addition, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department's Centre for Food Safety (CFS) will hold a seminar entitled "Hong Kong's Action on Salt and Sugar Reduction" at the Food Expo's Entertainment Stage (Hall 3E, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre) from 1pm to 2pm on August 16.

     The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults consume less than five grams of salt daily (i.e. slightly less than one level teaspoon of salt). Also, WHO recommends that free sugar should make up less than 10 per cent of the total energy intake per day for both adults and children. This translates into fewer than 50 grams of free sugar (i.e. about 10 sugar cubes) per day for a person with a daily dietary intake of 2,000 kilocalories.

     Excessive intake of salt and sugar leads to obesity and dental caries, and enhances the risks of chronic diseases such as hypertension, stroke and coronary heart diseases. Changing our dietary habits helps to reduce the amount of salt and sugar intake. For example, we may reduce adding salt or sodium-containing seasonings to our food, use natural ingredients to replace seasonings and sauces that are high in salt, and go for fruits, sugar-free soft drinks, tea and drinking water instead of food and drinks with excessive sugar.

     Information on reduction of salt and sugar and healthy diet is available in the designated Facebook page (www.facebook.com/HongKongsActiononSaltandSugarsReduction/) or Instagram page (www.instagram.com/hkassr/) of CFS.

     For information on the Food Expo and admission details, please visit the HKTDC's webpage: event.hktdc.com/fair/hkfoodexpo-en/HKTDC-Food-Expo/.