Functional Foods and the Food Industry

Abstract

Abstract Over the past decade, media attention to the health-nutrition link, and demographic, economic, and social trends have sparked increased consumer, public, and private sector interest and belief in healthy foods. The profile functional food consumer represents an identifiable market segment with characteristic beliefs, concerns and goals. Functional food product positionings may be shaped by any combination of physical, emotional, well-being, social, or financial components. The typical well-informed functional food customer has many noncommercial sources of information about nutrition and the diet-disease relationship. She can afford to buy healthy foods as “insurance” for future health, as long as the products are presented as credible, high quality, readily available, tasty, varied, and convenient.