5

Transcript

Welcome. This lecture is about the regulatory systems for health foods. And the regulatory system or regulatory aspects is very important to discuss here, like there are so many regulatory bodies who regulate about the labelling part, the health claim part and the right doses, because the consumers they are health conscious. They should be aware about the right doses of the phytochemicals, the right doses of the nutrients, which could provide the health benefits to them. So the regulatory bodies they are working in this area regarding the nutritional claims and the health claims, and the advantages and the labelling should be proper, that is easily understandable by the consumers. Safety issues of functional foods are becoming very popular day by day throughout the world. And the safety issues are also triggering brains of the researchers as well as the consumers, because today’s consumer is very health conscious. They want to know the right doses, the harmful aspects of the these kinds of foods. It is very important to determine the right doses. I have earlier discussed this point that right doses should be determined. How much it should be taken regularly or daily of the bio-active compounds or phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are the plant waste bio-active compounds that we derive from the plants. That to be incorporated into the food system to be administered as nutraceuticals.

Then safety scale of functional foods and nutraceuticals. There is a very fine line between the safety scale of the functional foods and nutraceuticals. Functional foods they are comparatively safe as to the nutraceuticals. And in case of functional foods there is no restrictive specific limit of consumption as compared to the nutraceuticals. Provide slow results, but the nutraceuticals they provide fast results. Functional foods can be consumed as a basic foodstuff along with the main meals. Earlier also we have discussed that the functional foods have no like no particular amount or specified amount. For example probiotic dahi or probiotic yogurt, we can have in our daily diet, but without any prescription. But in case of nutraceuticals we have to consult how much doses are necessary, the right doses and the duration of the doses also, because they are in the concentrated form. The phytochemical and the bioactive compounds they are in the concentrated form in the form of capsules etc.

Then functional foods they are very diverse. And minimum standards are there for their preparation. But in case of nutraceuticals, the high standards for their manufacturing are required. Similarly with the prescription part also. Then minimum education is required for the regulation or the sale. But in case of nutraceuticals, it is strictly; like an educated person or the experienced person in that particular field. Only that person can suggest or derive the regulatory aspect for the sale. In case of functional foods we don’t require any medical advice before consumption, that we have discussed. But in case of nutraceuticals a medical advice is needed because they are in the concentrated form.

Regulations related to the functional foods. The regulatory bodies like Food & Drugs Administration(FDA) under the authority of two laws. First is Federal Food, Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1938 (FDAC) provides for the regulation of all foods and food additives. And the second one, The Dietary Supplements Health and Education Act of 1994, and it will cover the dietary supplements and the ingredients of dietary supplements. Now another regulatory Codex Alimentarius. And this regulatory body has defined two types of nutrition claims. That is nutrient content, nutrient content means that is a claim that describe the level of a nutrient contained in the food. Means that particular food contains how much of that nutrient. Then second is nutrient comparative is a claim that compares the nutrient level or the energy value of two or more foods. Nutritional content claim. It means any representation, which states, suggests or implies that food has particular nutritional properties including but not limited to the energy value only, and to the content of the protein, fat, carbohydrate, as well as the content of vitamins and minerals.

Nutritionals claims. First we should know that what are the nutritional claims. Like whenever we have visited or you also have visited some malls or some markets for the purchase of different kind of things. We are searching for the new products, and first of all whenever we pick any kind of new product. What we look for. We go for the ingredients, what it contains. And the health claims. Means, we go for the if somebody has the diabetes problem he or she will find out the claim that it is sugar free, low sodium, fat free, lactose free and that is gluten free. So nutritional claim means any claim which states, suggests or implies that food has a particular beneficial nutritional property due to energy value, and also provide at a reduced or increased rate. Does not provide the nutrients another substances.

So different nutrition claims like low energy, energy reduced, energy free, very low sodium, sodium free or salt free. That its source of fiber. That which kind of nutrient it contains. It also comes under nutrition claim. Then increased, increased means; any particular component or any particular nutrient has been increased or decreased or removed from that food. Low fat then fat free, low saturated fat, saturated fat free, low sugars, sugar free, then with no added sugar, low sodium, source of fiber, high fiber, source of protein and high protein. These are all the nutritional claims that the regulatory bodies say that it should be mentioned on the label, the nutritional claim. Like then we will come to the source from where it is derived; plant based, animal based or any other source, name of the mineral if it has mineral. Which mineral is incorporated like calcium, iron or some other mineral. Then high means the name of that particular vitamin or mineral that is added; increased which nutrient is increased. It should be mentioned. Then reduced, name of the nutrient, which nutrient has been reduced. Then lite term is also there. Then naturally or natural that is related to the nutrition claim, like naturally high in fiber, we always search, the people who are health conscious always search for the product that are high in fiber.

Rich sources of omega 3 fatty acids. Because they are very essential for the brain development. Then high omega 3 fatty acid. Then high mono-unsaturated fat, high poly-unsaturated fat, high omega 3 fatty acids. And no added sodium or sugar. And then reduce. Reduce term means any kind of nutrient or any kind of component that has been reduced, increased or enhanced. It is mandatory to claim that nutrition, nutritional part. Similarly it is about the health claims. Health claims means any claims that suggests or states the relationship that exists between a food category and a food or one of its constituents and health. Three things are there. The food category, the food or its constituent and the health. It’s a trio.

Then health claims are mentioned differently. First we can say that the impact of a particular nutrient to the growth and development of the organism. What is the impact of that particular nutrient that we are adding or removing in the food; functional food. Secondly the impact on the physiological function, behavior, weight control or reduce the feeling of hunger or increase the satiety or reduce the energy availability. Third aspect is the impact of health and development of children. Then fourth aspect is the risk reduction of the disease. Means that health claims will, claims like it will reduce some particular kind of disease or not.

Functional food regulations in India. What are the regulatory bodies in India? There is a big concern for the consumer as well as the government and regulatory bodies. And FSSAI is the recent one that works on these regulatory aspects of the functional foods and other foods also. In FSSAI chapter 4, article 22 of the Act, it addresses about the nutraceutical, functional foods, dietary supplements and the need to regulate these products that any one can manufacture, sell, distribute or import these food products. It covers all these parameters. These food products covered under it include novel foods, genetically modified articles of the food, irradiated food, and in this kind of food we use irradiation. Then organic food and food for the special dietary uses. Functional foods, nutraceuticals and health supplements. There is article 23 & 24 addresses about the packaging and labelling part of the food and restriction on the advertisement regarding the food. Here packaging and labelling part are very important. The packaging material we are using, because these are the food that is related to our health. And the labelling aspect is also important. Because the consumer, he is not aware about the claims that written  on that particular food product, so the labelling part is very important. It’s very essential to label that particular claim on the food product.

Then there are international regulations also. Different countries have different regulatory bodies. In Japan it’s FOSHU and it approves the statement made on the food labels concerning the physiological effect of the food on the human body. Then United States of America. Food & Drugs Administration, that is FDA regulated the nutraceutical industry, since long, since 1947. And health claims may be authorized for a food based on an extensive review and the scientific literature. And then Canada. Health Canada regulates the health food industry. And the Canadian Food Inspection Agency enforces these regulations. So most of the nutraceuticals in Canada fall under Natural Health Products Regulations of the Food and Drugs Act, which came into effect since January 2004. In New Zealand, Food Standard Australia and New Zealand. And in China, Food hygiene law of the People’s Republic of China. And the administrative licensing law of People’s Republic of China. And this law is effective there from July, 2005.

So these all about the regulatory body. In this week we have discussed the different aspects, the different definitions of functional foods, their significance, the role of regulatory bodies, the need of regulatory bodies and the different sources. Their mechanism affection. The importance of the functional foods to prevent the different diseases and to provide health benefits. Next lecture we will discuss, functional food categories and sources.

Thank You.