Functional food: vital or just a bonus? (2006)
In 2004, viWTA has begun a new project formula ‘Technology charted’. That new approach includes an explorative overview of the technological area, a hearing of experts and stakeholders, and a lunch debate in the Flemish parliament. Within this framework, at the end of 2005, viWTA asked the consortium of Food2Know and Flanders’ FOOD to map out the field of functional food.
Functional food contains an extra component that claims to have a health-promoting effect. On the shelves, the consumer will find breakfast cereals with extra minerals, fruit juices with added vitamins, cholesterol-lowering margarines or yoghurt drinks with natural bacterial cultures, that enhance the intestinal functioning. viWTA made an overview of the research and the industrial activities connected with functional food in Flanders and brought together the legislation in this respect. That gave rise to a series of social questions. To what extent are the health-promoting claims scientifically founded? Do omega-3 fatty acids really protect against cardiovascular diseases or are they merely a sales argument? Could investing in functional food contribute to prevent a number of diseases of civilization? And should the Flemish authorities promote this kind of foodstuffs or is it enough to stress the importance of varied nourishment?
Another relevant issue is how many people can benefit from the health-promoting properties of functional food. Not everyone can or is willing to buy these more expensive products. In the United States, functional ingredients are added to popular foodstuffs. Could this be an option for Flanders? Equally important is the question whether there is any risk of over-consumption, with eventual harmful side effects. And finally: how to keep a distinction between food and medicines?
All these questions from the state of affairs were presented to a panel of thirty Flemish nutritionists, including industrialists, dieticians, scientific researchers, consumer organizations, policy makers, and shop tenders. It appeared that the functioning and the effect of functional food are much more difficult to prove than those of medicines, for functional food contains different nutrients, the mix of which makes it very complicated to investigate the effects of individual constituents. A second conclusion refers to the Flemish preventive health policy that must keep emphasizing the importance of balanced and varied nourishment and a wholesome lifestyle. For certain specific target groups and problems however, functional food can indeed be an interesting option.
The state of affairs and the results of the hearing were bundled into the dossier ‘Functional food: state of affairs’. The most relevant findings have been presented and discussed during the lunch debate ‘Functional food: vital or just a bonus?’ of April 20, 2006 in the Flemish parliament. The panel was composed of Wim Caers (FEVIA), Ann Isebaert (OIVO), Prof. Theo Niewold (KULeuven) and Prof. Greet Vansant (KULeuven).
