Promises and Problems of Functional Foods

"Functional" foods are branded foods, which claim, explicitly or implicitly, to improve health or well being. We review typical functional foods and their ingredients, efficacy, and safety. We also review regulations for health claims for foods worldwide. These regulations often allow manu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Critical reviews in food science and nutrition 2004-01, Vol.44 (5), p.369-377
Main Authors: KATAN, MARTIJN B., ROOS, NICOLE M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
beta-carotene
Biological and medical sciences
cardiovascular-disease risk
coronary-heart-disease
dietary-supplements
Europe
events
Food industries
Food, Organic - adverse effects
Food, Organic - standards
functional foods
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
health claims
herbal medicines
Humans
Japan
lung-cancer
Nutraceuticals
Nutrition Policy
randomized controlled trial
regulation
st-johns-wort
supplements
United States
vitamin-e
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Summary:"Functional" foods are branded foods, which claim, explicitly or implicitly, to improve health or well being. We review typical functional foods and their ingredients, efficacy, and safety. We also review regulations for health claims for foods worldwide. These regulations often allow manufacturers to imply that a food promotes health without providing proper scientific evidence. At the same time, regulations may ban claims that a food prevents disease, even when it does. We offer a plea for regulations that will permit all health claims that are supported by the totality of scientific evidence, and ban all claims that suggest an unproven benefit.
ISSN:1040-8398
1549-7852
DOI:10.1080/10408690490509609