What Else is Needed for Public Health to Benefit from Functional Foods?
Current FDA policy requires that the health benefit attributed to a food component be derived from its “nutritive value.” The Expert Report recommends that FDA not restrict the health benefits of foods to this very limited concept. Rather, IFT supports basing structure/function and health claims on a broad-based scientific criterion that addresses the extensive links between health and nutrition and other scientific disciplines such as physiology, endocrinology, biochemistry, neurology, and genetics. This recommendation is consistent with the desires of consumers, functional food manufacturers, and regulators alike, who all want credibility in the claims on food products.
