A European consensus of scientific concepts of functional foods

Abstract

safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness.5 How then can the consumer make informed choices and be protected against inferior products? More comprehensive product information and more accurate product labeling is important but better nutrition education of health professionals, the media, and the general population is the key to long-term success. Consumers will need protection from fraudulent claims or inferior quality products without unnecessarily stifling innovation and instituting long, drawn-out marketing approval procedures. Existing food regulations, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), and other consumer protection laws will probably suffice for now with increased enforcement, but we must remain vigilant. Consumers need to be better informed with accurate definitions, clearer nutrition advice, and better product information. It is no longer acceptable for qualified nutritionists to avoid offering specific nutrition advice because expert opinion is divided. Twenty-first century consumers are demanding to know how much is beneficial and how much is harmful. Surveys in the US have confirmed that .60% of shoppers would value the opportunity to obtain advice from a qualified nutritionist or pharmacist if offered by supermarkets.6 If nutritionists fail to provide the appropriate advice then unqualified quacks can and will fill the information gap. At present, anyone without formal qualifications can offer nutrition or dietary advice to consumers in shops, newspapers, magazines, or other media. This cannot be allowed to continue. Consumers naturally seek legal advice from qualified lawyers and financial advice from qualified accountants. Nutrition advice should therefore be sought from and made more widely available by qualified professional nutritionists. The evolving concept of nutraceuticals and functional foods raises exciting prospects for future nutrition research with associated health benefits for the general population. Manufacturers will need the freedom to innovate but must be deterred from marketing products with questionable effects. All claims must be based on sound science. Safety, quality, and cost-effectiveness must remain paramount. National and international nutrition societies must take more responsibility for educating other health professionals, the media, and the general public in a more quantitative and userfriendly fashion. A well-informed health-conscious public will ensure that nutraceuticals and functional foods follow vitamin supplements into long and mature life-cycles both for the product manufacturer and the consumer.