Functional Foods industry's influence on public health and disease prevention
The Vitamin Lawyer Email Update – 04/07/05
Nutraceuticals entering the Market
The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)— a scientific society of
researchers in industry, universities and government released a report on the
Functional Foods industry and concluded it is "at the threshold of
unprecedented influence on public health and disease prevention."
The IFT report is featured in an article in Science News on line. It confirms
the growing significance of Functional Foods, “In the past decade, food and
dietary-supplement manufacturers have created a new niche industry—one in
which their goods do more than provide nutrition or gustatory pleasure.
Designed to promote optimal health and reduce risk of disease, such products
have come to be known as functional foods or nutraceuticals. Examples include
St. John's wort tablets reputed to fight mild depression, calcium-fortified
orange juice, and margarines made with cholesterol-lowering stanol esters.
Even oatmeal and cranberry juice might be considered functional foods, in that
they contain dietary agents that can cut disease risk.”
The IFT report recommends the “development of a designation "generally
recognized as efficacious" (GRAE) for nutraceuticals supported by a strong
body of scientific evidence. The category might include foods such as oats and
ingredients such as fish oil or the plant pigment lutein.” This would be
similar to the GRAS (generally recognized as safe) list of food additives.
Please read the article. It will give you a good feeling for the types of
regulations that people in the science community are recommending to
government.
Ralph Fucetola, JD
http://www.vitaminlawyer.com
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