A functional food is a
food claimed to have an additional (often one related to
health promotion
Health promotion is, as stated in the 1986 World Health Organization (WHO) Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, the "process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve their health."
Scope
The WHO's 1986 Ottawa Charter for Hea ...
or
disease prevention) by adding new ingredients or more of existing ingredients. The term may also apply to traits purposely
bred into existing edible plants, such as purple or gold potatoes having increased
anthocyanin or
carotenoid contents, respectively.
Functional foods may be "designed to have physiological benefits and/or reduce the risk of chronic disease beyond basic nutritional functions, and may be similar in appearance to conventional food and consumed as part of a regular diet".
The term was first used in the 1980s in
Japan, where there is a government approval process for functional foods called Foods for Specified Health Use (FOSHU).
Industry
The functional food industry, consisting of food, beverage and supplement sectors, is one of the several areas of the
food industry that is experiencing fast growth in recent years.
[Roberts, W. "Benefiting Beverages." ''Prepared Foods'' August 2009] It is estimated that the global market of functional food industry will reach 176.7 billion in 2013 with a
compound annual growth rate
Compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is a business and investing specific term for the geometric progression ratio that provides a constant rate of return over the time period. CAGR is not an accounting term, but it is often used to describe some ele ...
(CAGR) of 7.4%. Specifically, the functional food sector will experience 6.9% CAGR, the supplement sector will rise by 3.8% and the functional beverage sector will be the fastest growing segment with 10.8% CAGR.
This kind of growth is fueled not only by industrial innovation and development of new products that satisfy the demand of
health
Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...
conscious
consumer
A consumer is a person or a group who intends to order, or uses purchased goods, products, or services primarily for personal, social, family, household and similar needs, who is not directly related to entrepreneurial or business activities. ...
s, but also by
health claims covering a wide range of health issues.
[Scholan, I. "Functional Beverages-- where next? Innovation in functional beverages market is set to continue." ''International Food Ingredients'' December 2007.] Yet, consumer
skepticism
Skepticism, also spelled scepticism, is a questioning attitude or doubt toward knowledge claims that are seen as mere belief or dogma. For example, if a person is skeptical about claims made by their government about an ongoing war then the p ...
persists mainly because benefits associated with consuming the products may be difficult to detect.
Strict examination of some of the functional food claims may discourage some companies from launching their products.
Honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...
can contain a range of
phytochemicals that may help bees to tolerate cold, resist pesticides and infections, heal wounds, and possibly live longer. Given floral diversity in their pollen sources, bees may have the ability to choose nectar varieties that have positive attributes for health.
See also
*
Functional beverage
A functional beverage is a conventional liquid food marketed to highlight specific product ingredients or supposed health benefit.
Functional beverages include dairy beverages, sports and performance drinks, energy drinks, ready-to-drink teas, " ...
*
Medical food
Medical foods are foods that are specially formulated and intended for the dietary management of a disease that has distinctive nutritional needs that cannot be met by normal diet alone. In the United States they were defined in the Food and Drug A ...
, specially formulated foods to treat diseases with distinctive nutritional needs
References
External links
Functional Foods: Public Health Boon or 21st Century Quackery?, a review of regulations and demand for functional foods in Japan, the
U.S.
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
and the
UK (March 1999)
Functional food
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