Overview of What Functional Foods Are

Abstract

There is no globally accepted definition of what constitute functional foods, but in broad terms they can be described as foods that provide benefits beyond basic nutrition. The main drivers for the development of functional foods have included an increased focus on the role of certain foods and food ingredients in disease prevention and risk reduction, particularly for the developed world, along with a growing desire for “self-medication” with consumers much more likely to select foods based on their knowledge of healthy attributes ascribed to specific nutrients. Additional factors are the increase in the age of the population in the developed world and the propensity of obesity and associated so-called lifestyle diseases such as type 2 diabetes. A survey carried out on Functional Foods/Foods for Health in 2011 revealed that 87 % of consumers agreed that certain foods have health benefits that go beyond basic nutrition with 80 % agreeing that they can help to maintain health and wellness (IFIC 2011). Consumers agreed that functional foods could help to improve heart disease, circulation, bone health, and type 2 diabetes, while other health benefits were also linked with functional foods including immune, digestive, and eye health.