Page 52 - ELITE PLUS MAGAZINE VOL2

ELITE HEALTHthrough fish oil, soy bean extract, natural fibre and collagen.As we look more closely at what lies beneath lifestyle management, we see that the special food groups mentioned earlier, i.e. the functional foods and dietary supplements, can play a major role in satisfying consumer health concerns. The definition of functional food has changed significantly over the past few decades. Functional food or medicinal food are ones that claim to have health-promoting or disease- preventing properties beyond the basic function of supplying nutrients. The general category of functional foods includes those processed or fortified with health-promoting nutrients, such as “vitamin-enriched” products. Fermented foods with live cultures or good bacteria are considered func- tional foods with probiotic benefits. Functional foods are an emerging field in food science due to their increasing popularity with health-conscious50 Elite+consumers. The term was first used in Japan in the 1980s, when a govern- ment approval process called Foods for Specified Health Use (FOSHU) was established.The functional food industry, consisting of food, beverage and supplement sectors, is one of several areas of the food industry that has experienced rapid growth in recent years. This kind of growth is fuelled not only by industrial innovation and new products that satisfy the demands of health conscious consumers, but also by health claims covering a wide range of health issues. The growth of the industry worldwide can be attributed to certain driving forces:1. The growing purchasing power of an affluent new middle class that would like to pursue a better quality of life for themselves and their families.2. Effective distribution channels like modern health shops, convenience stores and efficient direct marketingpractices.3. The accessibility of modern media,especially internet interaction andcommunication.4. The flow of information into aglobalized phenomenon.5. Escalating health care costs thatpush consumers towards finding alternatives, i.e. switching from treatment post-illness to pursuing a more preventive approach.6. Greateravailabilityofrawmaterials for the production process, which is the result of improving technology.7. Advancements in food preparation and pharmaceutical technologies, providing innovations for specific trends and market needs.8. The positive trend of new regula- tions emerging to accommodate changes in the industry.These factors have contributed tosustainable growth of the industry, not dented even by the global economic crisis of a few years ago. The health food industry has also enjoyed high annual growth. The main products driving the market now are fashionable ones such as slimming products, followed by vitamins and minerals in the form of dietary supplements.As we can see, modern consumers want products that will enhance their quality of life. For this purpose, functional foods and dietary supple- ments containing healthy ingredients can be a good solution to suit people’s needs. Mother Earth also provides many healthy ingredients, and more research is needed to uncover nutritional potential and new ingredients.