Functional foods in Europe: international developments in science and health claims

Excerpt

The concept of functional foods derives from the realisation that specific components of the diet have the capacity to contribute benefits beyond those of basic nutrition. The last two decades have seen the development of this concept to the point where it has aroused significantly the interest of the food industry, consumers and the regulatory authorities. The future of functional foods will depend on continued advances in nutrition science and the development of innovative technologies by the food industry. It will also depend on consumer understanding and acceptance of the concept, of products derived from its application, and on the way in which access to the market place is mediated by the regulatory environment at national, regional and global levels. The present symposium, held in Malta from 9 to 11 May 2007 and organised by the International Life Sciences Institute European Branch (ILSI Europe) in collaboration with the Malta Standards Authority, University of Malta and ILSI South East Asia, provided a forum for dialogue between stakeholders from the food industry, academia, consumer groups and the regulatory authorities. It gave an opportunity to review the current status of health claims made on foods and their scientific substantiation, to explore consumer understanding, behaviour and communication in relation to the concepts, to assess the impact of regulation on health claims and innovations in functional foods, and to discuss the future challenges and opportunities for functional foods. The conference was timely in that it followed the formal adoption of the Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 on Nutrition and Health Claims made on Foods [1] (hereafter referred to as the EU Regulation). …