1. Functional Foods (CHS457)
Dr Iftikhar Alam Associate Professor, Clinical Nutrition, Department of CHS, KSU

2. FUNCTIONAL FOODS Definition of FF Definition of Nutraceuticals
Types/categories of FF
Functional Food Components
Health Claims/Regulations

3. Functional food is a food where a new ingredient(s) (or more of an existing ingredient) has been added to a food and the new product has a new function (often one related to health-promotion or disease prevention).
Functional foods are one of the fastest-growing segments of the food industry.
In some countries, functional foods have already become part of the dietary landscape.
Food function

4. Functional foods, according to their generally accepted definition, are foods including whole foods and fortified, enriched, or enhanced foods or dietary components that may reduce the risk of chronic disease and provide a health and physiological benefit beyond the traditional nutrients it contains.
"Food and nutrition professionals are uniquely qualified to interpret scientific findings on functional foods and translate such findings into practical dietary applications for consumers, other health professionals, policy makers, and the media," they said.

6. Health Canada defines functional foods as being "similar in appearance to, or may be, a conventional food, is consumed as part of a usual diet, and is demonstrated to have physiological benefits and/or reduce the risk of chronic disease beyond basic nutritional functions.
Health Canada chronic disease

7. European Commission Concerted Action on Functional Food Science in Europe considers foods to be functional if they have a beneficial affect on one or more functions of the body and are still in the form of food, not a dietary supplement.
A.T. Diplock et al. , Editors. Scientific Concepts of Functional Foods in Europe - Consensus Document. British Journal of Nutrition 1999;81(1):1-27.
F. Bellisle et al., Editors. Functional Food Science in Europe - Theme Papers. British Journal of Nutrition 1998;80(1):1-193.
European Commission Concerted Action on Functional Food Science in Europe
dietary supplement

8. The American Dietetic Association (ADA) defines functional foods as foods "that include whole foods and fortified, enriched or enhanced foods have a potentially beneficial effect on health when consumed as part of a varied diet on a regular basis, at effective levels.“
The ADA breaks down functional foods into four categories: conventional foods, modified foods, medical foods, and foods for special dietary use.
American Dietetic Association

10. FF Components
Carotenoids
Dietary Fiber

11. Conventional Foods
Conventional foods are the most basic of the functional foods because they haven't been modified by enrichment or fortification; they're still in their natural state.
Most whole fruits and vegetables fall into this category because they're rich in phytochemicals such as lycopene and lutein, as well as other beneficial compounds.
Phytochemicals lycopene lutein

12. Modified Foods
Modified foods have been enriched, fortified or enhanced with nutrients or other beneficial ingredients. Calcium-fortified orange juice, folic acid enriched breads and margarine enhanced with plant sterols are functional foods that have been modified.
Energy drinks that have been enhanced with herbs such as ginseng and guarana, as well as other potentially controversial foods, also fall into this category.
Calcium-fortified orange juice, folic acid margarine plant sterols Energy drinks

13. Medical Foods
The FDA defines medical food as "food which is formulated to be consumed or administered enterally under the supervision of a physician and which is intended for the specific dietary management of a disease or condition for which distinctive nutritional requirements, based on recognized scientific principles, are established by medical evaluation."
Medical foods include specialized formulas designed for people who have specific health problems. These foods require the help and supervision of a health care provider.

14. Foods for Special Dietary Use
Foods for special dietary use are similar to medical foods, but they're available commercially and don't require the supervision of a health care provider.
These foods fill special dietary needs that are due to specific health conditions, such as celiac disease, lactose intolerance, or obesity. Gluten-free foods, lactose-free dairy products and foods designed to aid weight loss are considered foods for special dietary use if you have those conditions. Infant foods are also in this category.
Hasler CM, Brown AC; American Dietetic Association. "Position of the American Dietetic Association: functional foods." J Am Diet Assoc Apr;109(4):
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "Claims That Can Be Made for Conventional Foods and Dietary Supplements." Accessed August 16,

15. Health Claims and Regulations of Functional Foods
The healing power of foods is a popular concept that focuses on how "super foods" can have health protecting properties.
Functional food products typically include health claims on their label touting their benefits: for example: "Cereal is a significant source of fiber.
Studies have shown that an increased amount of fiber in one's diet can decrease the risk of certain types of cancer in (4)individuals.“
Fuchs CS, Giovannucci EL, Colditz GA, et al. Dietary fiber and the risk of colorectal cancer and adenoma in women. N Engl J Med. 1999;340:
health claims Cereal fiber
Studies risk cancer

16. What is a Nutraceutical?
The term “nutraceutical” combines the word
“nutrient” (a nourishing food or food
component) with “pharmaceutical”(a medical
drug).
The word “nutraceutical” has been
used to describe a broad list of products sold
under the premise of being dietary
supplements (i.e. a food), but for the
expressed intent of treatment or prevent of
disease.

17. What is a Nutraceutical?
The product that has been
isolated or purified from
food and generally sold in
medicinal forms not usually
associated with food.

18. Difference between FF and Nutracetical
Funtional food is presented in the form of food/drink while neutraceuticals are usually presented in the form of capsules. Tablets or even injection.

19. Health Claims and Regulations of Functional Foods
What is a Health Claim?
How to Check whether a Health Claim is True or False?
How to Check whether a Functional Food is Safe to Use?
What information should be on Label of a Fictional Food?

20. What is a Health Claim?
Functional foods are foods that claim to improve wellbeing or health. The health claim may be implicit (“rich in vitamin C”), or vague (“strengthens the body's defence system”), but invariably the product is presented with the suggestion of a benefit. Sales of such products are huge and growing.

21. How to Check whether a Health Claim is True or False?
How to Check whether a Functional Food is Safe to Use?
What information should be on Label of a Fictional Food?
Some countries, such as Canada, Sweden, the United States and the European Union, have specific laws concerning the labeling of such products.
In the United States, the kinds of claims which are allowed are overseen and regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
However, some claims will fall outside of the purview of the FDA and be accompanied by the disclaimer: "These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease."
Such a disclaimer typically accompanies supplements rather than foods, but since the definition of functional food is still evolving and somewhat amorphous, a functional food may find itself bearing the warning.
Canada, Sweden United States European Union
Labeling Food and Drug Administration

22. Ninety-five percent of functional foods haven’t been clinically tested and are making claims unsupported by clinical data.
Are functional foods safe? Do they deliver what they promise? You’ve got to evaluate each one on its own merits. Here are some questions to ask:
Steven DeFelice, chairman of the Foundation of Innovation in Medicine in Cranford, New Jersey. (

23. The first question we need to ask is does functional food work
The first question we need to ask is does functional food work. We have to pay attention for information about how much beneficial ingredients does it contain. Some food products contain only a fraction of the amount that may be beneficial.
If a food is fortified with vitamins or minerals, the label has to tell you exactly how much or how little has been added. That’s not the case with herbs or other added ingredients. Snapple, for example, refuses to divulge the amount of ginseng it puts into its Ginseng Tea. And even when labels say how much is in each serving, most shoppers have no idea whether that’s a lot or a little.    For example, according to its label, each cup of Peace Cereal Vanilla Almond Crisp with Ginkgo & Gotu Kola (“an Herbal Brain Power Cereal”) contains two milligrams of ginkgo leaf extract. What it doesn’t say is that two milligrams is just one or two percent of the 120 to 320 milligrams that were used as a daily dose in studies of people with Alzheimer’s.    How do companies decide how much herb or other “functional” ingredient to add to their foods? Do they evaluate the scientific literature to determine how much is effective...or safe? Don’t bet on it.
“It’s highly probable that many functional foods either block or increase the absorption of drugs, which could increase their toxicity or block their effectiveness,” says Stephen DeFelice of the Foundation for Innovation in Medicine. “We urgently need more studies on interactions between functional foods and pharmaceuticals.”

24. The next question should concern the safety of functional food
The next question should concern the safety of functional food .Many herbs or other ingredients used in functional foods are not tested for governmental approval. Meanwhile some of them may create several health problems.

25. It is also very important to be sure that processed functional food is healthy. For instance a calcium-fortified functional food with sugar and water is less healthful because the additional nutrients found in orange juice are missing.

26. During evaluation of functional food we have to check the information provided through nutritional labeling on food products, which may serve as useful guide in finding foods that have nutrient density and are healthful choices.