April 2011 - Globally, the development of healthier-for-you functional food and dietary supplements has witnessed significant interest on the part of the research community, industry and governments. Market momentum began in earnest in the late 1980s, when consumers began to recognize certain foods and food supplements could have a positive impact on health. There is much to be investigated in all aspects of the area where, even with definitions, there is little consistency.
“Functional food” is essentially a marketers’ or analysts’ term and is not recognized legally in any jurisdiction. As such, companies and market researchers use the term inconsistently and there are many variations of the definition.In general, functional foods can be described as “foods that have a potentially beneficial effect on health, when consumed as a part of a varied diet” (Hasler and Brown, 2009).