Functional foods: regulations and consumer protection

The consumer rising attention to health problems and the awareness of importance of relantionship between diet and health have led to a growing consumption of dietary supplements, particular foods and others, as the so-called functional foods, that have appeared for the first time in Japan in the late 1980’s. Later, these products are spread in the USA market, in Canada and in the Europe, where was not only enthusiasm but also skepticism about functional foods. The present framework of regulation in regard to the production and the marketing of functional foods is too weak, showing deep gaps. In this paper the world regulation is examined, with an overview of the regulatory status in Japan, USA, Canada and Europe. Particular attention is addressed to the use of debatable “health claims” on the food labels and to the safety of functional foods. Institutional authorities should ensure consumers that: 1) claims in labelling are true and adequately substantiated, in order to avoid lying expectations about their supposed benefits and/or even negative effects; 2) functional ingredients are safe; 3) they are not added in the foods high in cholesterol , fat, sugar or sodium. Moreover, it’s necessary to harmonize food regulation on the international basis.