University of Turku Department of Biochemistry Jukka-Pekka Suomela Functional Foods 13.4.2015 Background The concept of functional food was first promoted in 1984 by Japanese scientists FOSHU (FOod for Specified Health Uses) introduced 1991 a food marketed as functional typically contains added, technologically developed ingredients with a specific health Still, certain traditional foods can also be regarded as functional if it has some added health value (apart from basic nutritional impact) 13.4.2015 Definition No unitary accepted definition “a food product can only be considered functional if together with the basic nutritional impact it has beneficial effects on one or more functions of the human organism thus either improving the general and physical conditions or/and decreasing the risk of the evolution of diseases. The amount of intake and form of the functional food should be as it is normally expected for dietary purposes. Therefore, it could not be in the form of pill or capsule just as normal food form” The European Commission’s Concerted Action on Functional Food Science in Europe (FuFoSE) 13.4.2015 Definition “Functional foods, including 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. American dietetic association (ADA) 13.4.2015 Definition ”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 13.4.2015 Definition European (and US) legislation does not consider functional foods as specific food categories, but rather a concept unlike in Japan, no labels for “functional food” used On EU level, emphasis often in health claims (http://ec.europa.eu/nuhclaims/) To clearly define a certain product as functional food is not unequivocal what exactly is basic nutritional impact and what is beyond(?) 13.4.2015 Case: xylitol Accepted health claim: “Chewing gum sweetened with 100% xylitol has been shown to reduce dental plaque. High content/level of dental plaque is a risk factor in the development of caries in children” 13.4.2015 Condition of use: Information to the consumer that the beneficial effect is obtained with a consumption of 2-3g of chewing gum sweetened with 100% xylitol at least 3 times per day after the meals Case: xylitol Studies on the effects of xylitol started in Turku in 1970 by professors Kauko Mäkinen and Arje Scheinin (“Turku sugar studies”) In 1975, the Finnish company Hellas (later called Leaf), a part of the Huhtamäki Group, became the first company in the world to introduce xylitol chewing gum 13.4.2015 Case: sterols/stanol esters Accepted health claim: “Plant sterols/stanols contribute to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels” 13.4.2015 Condition of use: In order to bear the claim information shall be given to the consumer that the beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of at least 0.8 g of plant sterols/stanols Case: sterols/stanol esters Accepted health claim: “Plant sterols and plant stanol esters have been shown to lower/reduce blood cholesterol. High cholesterol is a risk factor in the development of coronary heart disease.” 13.4.2015 Condition of use: Information to the consumer that the beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 1,5-2,4 g plant sterols/stanols. Reference to the magnitude of the effect may only be made for foods within the following categories: yellow fat spreads, dairy products, mayonnaise and salad dressings. When referring to the magnitude of the effect, the entire range '7 to 10 %' and the duration to obtain the effect 'in 2 to 3 weeks' must be communicated to the consumer Case: sterols/stanol esters Benecol margarine (contains stanol esters) launched 1995 Tens of clinical studies performed after the first groundbreaking study* Becel Pro.activ (contains sterols) was launched soon after Benecol *Miettinen et al. Reduction of serum cholesterol with sitostanol-ester margarine in a population with mildly elevated cholesterol. New England Journal of Medicine 1995; 333: 1308–1312. 13.4.2015 Other examples β-glucan 13.4.2015 “Beta-glucans contribute to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels” “Consumption of beta-glucans from oats or barley as part of a meal contributes to the reduction of the blood glucose rise after that meal” “Barley beta-glucans has been shown to lower/reduce blood cholesterol. High cholesterol is a risk factor in the development of coronery heart disease” “Oat beta-glucan has been shown to lower/reduce blood cholesterol. High cholesterol is a risk factor in the development of coronary heart disease” Other examples 13.4.2015 Other examples Probiotics No health claims accepted yet Various effects on intestines Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (Gefilus) LGG Valio’s registered trademark Involved in 42 doctoral theses and over 700 scientific articles Lactobacillus reuteri (Rela) 13.4.2015 Other examples Siró et al. Functional Food. Product development, marketing And consumer acceptance – A review Appetite 2008; 51: 456-467. 13.4.2015 Other examples Prebiotics No health claims accepted stimulate the growth and/or activity of bacteria in the digestive system in ways claimed to be beneficial to health E.g. inulin, fructooligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides, lactulose inulin 13.4.2015 Other examples Bioactive peptides No health claims accepted Possible lowering effect on blood pressure (meta-analysis in Suomen Lääkärilehti*) Valio Evolus not available anymore Suomen Lääkärilehti (2009), 64: 1354-1357 13.4.2015 Key questions 13.4.2015 Is it good for me? Does it taste good? Does it provide extra value? Is it good for the world? Future prospects Microencapsulation of components utility of nutrigenomics, bioinformatics, proteomics, metabolomics and nanotechnology Close relationship between food researchers, technologists, nutritionists and food designers! 13.4.2015 References Funtional Foods (2010). Studies and reports. European Commission. Functional Food Products Development (2010). Smith J. & Carter E. (eds.). WileyBlackwell, Hoboken, NJ. Siró I. et al. Functional Food. Product development, marketing and consumer acceptance – A review (2008). Appetite 51: 456-467. 13.4.2015