Will the FDA Actually Help Us?

More energy! Fortified with calcium! Brain-booster! These claims are appearing on food packages just about everywhere these days; but you have to wonder if all these types of claims are really true. To date, there is no legal definition for "functional foods," but the tide might be turning. This past Wednesday, FDA officials announced that they are going to hold a public hearing on December 5th, to determine whether these functional foods require a formal definition and specific regulations, safety evaluation, and labeling.

Functional foods as defined by the Institute of Food Technologies are "foods and food components that provide a health benefit beyond basic nutrition. This includes conventional foods, fortified, enriched or enhanced foods, and dietary supplements."

Why is this a big deal anyway?

Many food scientists have long touted "functional foods" as the savior for our health and wellness dilemma. Foods that can reduce cancers, cure heart disease, increase libido and even make us smarter – but to date, the success has been lagging behind the science – and that's mostly because of the consumer confusion.

The FDA noted that, "Increased consumer demand is causing the food industry to add more and larger amounts of substances to food." And functional food sales mirror that demand. In 1995 sales were at $11.3 billion, in 1999 $16.2 billion, and they are projected to reach $49 billion by 2010 according to a study by the General Accounting Office.

At the moment, companies do not need FDA approval before marketing functional foods if the ingredients are thought to be generally regarded as safe (GRAS). Although FDA officials state that they are confident current regulations are adequate for functional foods, the good news is that they have scheduled the hearing. Questions are whether this is simply a show to placate nutrition and health advocacy groups ... or might this actually start a move towards stricter labeling standards? By officially sanctioning such a category as functional, the FDA might also stimulate further growth in that category and even more importantly help reverse our dismal health and wellness scorecard.