![\"Yogurt,](\"https:\/\/ulprospector.ul.com\/media\/2018\/06\/fbn-yogurt-1442034_600x400.jpg\")
While people eat or drink food to maintain life and growth, there is now increasing evidence to suggest that many foods and food components provide physiological and psychological benefits beyond that basic function.<\/p>\nWhile people eat or drink food to maintain life and growth, there is now increasing evidence to suggest that many foods and food components provide physiological and psychological benefits beyond that basic function.<\/p>\n
This has shifted the direction of nutrition science towards identifying bioactive components in foods that have the potential to provide health and wellness benefits and which may also play a role in reducing the risk of disease. Such foods include fruits, vegetables, whole grains and dairy.<\/p>\n
In addition to these traditional foods, many foods and beverages are now fortified or enriched with these and other functional substances for their health promoting effects.<\/p>\n
Prospector has listings for more than 10,000 functional food ingredients and formulations<\/a>, with technical data and contact information from global suppliers. Register and get access today!<\/p>\n The concept of \u201cfunctional foods\u201d was introduced in Japan in the 1980s along with an approval process called Foods for Specific Health Use (FOSHU) for use of the term.1<\/sup><\/p>\n Since then, different countries have adopted various ideas of functional food in terms of definition, scope and regulatory framework, but there is no universal legal definition for functional foods.2<\/sup><\/p>\n Generally, a functional food or beverage is one that provides additional or enhanced benefit above and beyond their basic nutritional value.<\/p>\n On this basis, there are two categories of functional foods or beverages:<\/p>\n The main substances that provide \u201cfunctionality\u201d to the foods are vitamins, flavonoids, fiber, essential fatty acids and bacterial cultures.3<\/sup><\/p>\n \u2193 CVD risk<\/p>\n \u2191 Satiety<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \u2191 Mental and visual functions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \u2191 Satiety<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \u2191 Heart health<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \u2191 Immune health<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n <\/p>\n One review suggested that the global market for functional foods and beverages could reach $192 billion by 2020.4<\/sup><\/p>\n Driving this growth is consumers\u2019 growing interest in the relationship between diet and health, increasing healthcare costs, advances in science and technology and an aging population, among others.<\/p>\n The International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation\u2019s 2018 Food and Health Survey found that nearly half of consumers said that \u201ccardiovascular health\u201d is a health benefit they were interested in getting from foods. About one-third of Americans listed \u201cweight loss\/weight management,\u201d \u201cenergy,\u201d and \u201cbrain function (memory, focus, cognition).\u201d5<\/sup><\/p>\n Developing functional foods and beverages is a challenge for food scientists, as they need to ensure that these products meet their target consumers\u2019 expectations while also providing credible scientific evidence to confirm the benefit of any particular food or component. To combat this, the Functional Food Center recommends the following steps.6<\/sup><\/p>\n The functional food and beverage sector is a growing segment. This growth is driven by scientific and industrial advances, as well as increased consumer demand for products that confer cardiovascular, weight management and brain function benefits.<\/p>\n Steps should be taken to form and agree upon a new formal definition for functional foods so that the challenges associated with bringing them to market is minimized.<\/p>\nRegister for Prospector<\/a><\/h3>\n
\nWhat are Functional Foods?<\/h3>\n
\n
Table 1 Functional Foods, their active components and target function<\/em><\/h6>\n
\n\n
\n Functional Food<\/strong><\/td>\n Active Food Component<\/strong><\/td>\n Target Function<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Fortified margarines<\/td>\n Plant sterols<\/td>\n \u2193 LDL and total cholesterol<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Psyllium<\/td>\n Soluble fiber<\/td>\n \u2193 LDL and total cholesterol<\/p>\n \n Fatty fish, flax seed, enriched eggs<\/td>\n Omega-3 fatty acids<\/td>\n \u2193 CVD risk<\/p>\n \n Milk, egg, soy, vegetables<\/td>\n Protein (whey, casein, egg, soy, vegetable sources)<\/td>\n \u2191 Body composition<\/p>\n \n Dairy and meat products<\/td>\n Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)<\/td>\n \u2191 Weight loss<\/p>\n \n Fruits, vegetables, tea<\/td>\n Phenolics (anthocyanidins, catechins, flavones, lignans, tannins)<\/td>\n \u2193 Risk of cancer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Yogurt, sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha<\/td>\n Probiotics (Lactobacillus <\/em>sp.<\/em> and Bifidobacterium <\/em>sp.<\/em>)<\/td>\n \u2191 Digestive health<\/p>\n \n Jerusalem artichokes, asparagus, leeks, onion, banana<\/td>\n Prebiotics (fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and inulin)<\/td>\n \u2191 Growth or activity of probiotics<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n What consumers want from food<\/h3>\n
Challenges of introducing functional food or beverage products to the market<\/h3>\n
\nThe fact that functional foods are not recognized legally also represents a challenge for product developers and marketers who want to create, sell and educate consumers about the possible benefits of their functional food or beverage products.<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/ulprospector.ul.com\/media\/2018\/06\/functional-foods-to-market-cycle-1024x597.png\")
The takeaway<\/h3>\n
References<\/h3>\n
\n