"Functional Food": potential, market development and consumers’ behaviour

Experts met on the 5^th International Fresenius Conference on "Functional Food" in Frankfurt/Main (Germany)

Dortmund, Frankfurt/Main (Germany), 17 November 2010

Functional foods are expected to convey benefits for health, wellbeing and performance beyond their immediate nutritional value. The increasing number of companies and innovations in this sector underlines the huge influence of functional food on the market. Are these products the solution for nutrition related diseases? Where are difficulties? And what is the future outlook? At the 5th International Fresenius Conference on "Functional Food", held in Frankfurt/Main (Germany) from 28 to 29 October 2010, experts from industry and science discussed the market development and changes in consumer behaviour.

Considerable evidence indicates some that specific probiotic preparations are able to influence the microbiota composition and metabolic activity in the gut, informed Kristin Verbeke from the Medical Faculty of the University of Leuven the audience. Moreover, probiotics could decrease the degree of bile salt degradation and influence the immune system, for example by activating specific immune cells or modifying cytokine production. It has been argued that these mechanisms are likely to result in beneficial effects in clinical conditions such as irritable bowel disease (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), allergy, gastrointestinal infections and colon cancer. However, clinical trials have confirmed some of these effects whereas they remain inconclusive for other effects (e.g. colon cancer).

Health claims regulations and functional food

Functional food is becoming a key factor affecting consumers’ choice, said Professor Dr. Hannu J. Korhonen from MTT Agrifood Research Finland. He observed that the functional food category is officially regulated only in Japan whereas the European Union legislation does not provide an official definition for these products. Regarding the great number of products on the EU market labelled with generic or specific health claims and coined as functional foods, there is a need for a proper validation of the attached health claims, Korhonen said. In order to harmonize the markets and to ensure consumer protection against misleading market messages, the EU established the Regulation (EC) 1924/2006 on the nutrition and health claims on foods in 2006. One of the key objectives of this regulation is to ensure that any claim made on a food label is clear and substantiated by scientific evidence. Health claim regulations will globally affect the development of functional foods by removing unsubstantiated products from the market and boosting entry of products with real health benefits, Korhonen predicted: "Functional foods continue to be a globally expanding food category aiming for improved health and wellbeing of consumers through specific diets."

Functional food against obesity and iodine deficiency?

Obesity is a major risk factor for conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia that lead to cardiovascular diseases like coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, stroke and others. Dr. Susanne Römer (Allianz Private Health Insurance APKV) showed that obesity has become a lifestyle disease and a major problem in many industrialised countries. Römer advised that any therapy has to affect eating, physical activity and behavioural changes. To reduce the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease beyond the reduction by weight loss, overweight people have to eat more vegetables, fruits, wholemeal products, low energy beverages and less fat.

Beside obesity, another example of diseases widespread in industrialized countries is iodine deficiency. Iodine is essential for the synthesis of thyroid hormones. Thus, the effects of iodine deficiency are the impacts of hypothyroidism, e.g. abortion, impaired mental function, retarded physical development or goitre. Natural sources of iodine are marine fish, seaweed and other seafood. Also, use of iodized salt now is common and risk groups like pregnant women are prescribed iodine tablets. "Recent studies have shown that a good level of iodine nutrition can be ensured thanks to a ‘functional’ supply that compensates for the poor natural supply," Römer explained.

The complete Fresenius conference documentation including scripts from all the presentations can be purchased at the Akademie Fresenius for 295,00 € (plus VAT) or here.

Contact details:

Die Akademie Fresenius GmbH
Monika Stratmann

Alter Hellweg 46
44379 Dortmund
Germany

Phone +49 231 75896-48
Fax +49 231 75896-53
E-Mail info@akademie-fresenius.de
Internet www.akademie-fresenius.com

"Functional Food": potential, market development and consumers’ behaviour

Experts met on the 5th International Fresenius Conference on "Functional Food" in Frankfurt/Main (Germany)

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Experts met on the 5^th International Fresenius Conference on "Functional Food" in Frankfurt/Main (Germany)