Re-thinking functional food development through a holistic approach

TLDR

Interest in functional foods has surged, yet the lack of a clear definition, regulation, and alignment between technological and nutritional perspectives hampers integrated development. The authors propose a holistic framework, the Functional Food Development Cycle, to rationalize functional food development. The cycle involves reviewing regulations, defining standards, outlining technological design methods, assessing efficacy, and establishing communication strategies to bring products to market. Integrating technological and evaluation viewpoints to balance quality and functionality is essential, and the resulting consumer insights feed regulatory bodies, creating an iterative, virtuous cycle.

Abstract

Although the interest towards functional food has dramatically increased, several factors jeopardize their effective development. A univocally recognized definition and a dedicated regulation for this emerging food category is lacking, and a gap exists between the technological and the nutritional viewpoints. Involved actors speak different languages, thus impinging the progression towards an integrated approach for functional food development. A holistic approach to rationalize functional food development was here proposed, i.e., the "Functional Food Development Cycle". First regulation and definitions were reviewed. The technological approaches for functional food design were then described, followed by the efficacy evaluation ones. Merging the technological and the evaluation viewpoints, by identifying the best compromise between quality and functionality, is pivotal to develop effective functional foods. Finally, delivering functional food on the market requires dedicated communication strategies. These in turn can provide information about consumer needs, thus representing an input for regulatory bodies to drive the development of functional food, feeding it within an iterative and virtuous holistic cycle.