Establishing a tool to assess product health claims and improve regulation of bioactive compounds as functional ingredients in foods

Abstract

Non‐nutrient bioactive compounds inherent in plant foods are widely associated with beneficial health effects. As a result, bioactive compounds are becoming increasingly important as functional ingredients in food products with proposed health benefits, such as reduction of disease risk, improvement in growth and development, and optimisation of health. Authorisation of health claims within the current marketplace is imperative to ensure valid representation of food products. In response to the need for access to bioactive compound data, a single online resource has been established which collates international data on the composition and biological effects of plant‐based bioactive compounds. The database derives information from peer‐reviewed published literature and covers 16 major compound classes from approximately 600 commonly consumed plants. All data is quality assessed using a defined rating system and reporting is user‐driven to support the specific requirements of the user. The database is likely to serve as an invaluable tool for product health claim assessment, regulation of bioactive compounds as functional ingredients, estimation of exposure to bioactive compounds and for supporting diet and health research. Support: This project is part of the European Food Information Resource Network (EuroFIR), which is funded by the EU under the 6th Framework Programme. Project contract number: FP6‐513944.