Functional foods

Consumer interest in healthy eating is shifting towards the potential health benefits of specific foods and food ingredients. Moreover, scientific evidence supports the idea that some of these might have positive effects on our health and well-being, beyond the provision of basic nutritional requirements.

Research, including several projects funded by the European Commission (EC), has led to the identification and understanding of the potential mechanisms of biologically active components in food, which could improve health and possibly reduce the risk of disease while enhancing our overall well-being. This has led to the concept of functional foods that might deliver such benefits.

This brochure gives an overview of the projects financed under FP5 within the Key Action 'Food, Nutrition and Health' of the 'Quality of Life and Management of Living Resource' programme, under FP6 within the 'Food Quality and Safety' priority and under FP7 within the 'Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Biotechnology Theme'.

The focus is not on individual success stories, but rather on the approach of a programme and its instruments to contribute to achieving the aims of the European Research Area.

Wikipedia: Functional food http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Functional_food

EFSA: Panels & Units: NDA: Nutrition and Health Claims http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/nda/ndaclaims.htm

EUFIC: Functional foods http://www.eufic.org/article/en/page/BARCHIVE/expid/basics-functional-foods/

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