功能性食品軟糖

的食物一個函數,超越固有的營養價值,成群結隊地吸引消費者。但令人擔憂的是,標簽和所有積極的內涵與之關聯的,現在被用來促進銷售,給以前飲食合法性痛斥產品,如巧克力和早餐麥片。鑒於歐洲功能食品市場票房去年€40億,難怪食品製造商從每個部門是堅固的爭奪一塊餡餅。另一方麵,諷刺的是,通過拍打health-boosting聲稱一些產品被視為不健康的食品公司實際上加劇了肥胖的繁榮而不是打敗他們聲稱。現在巧克力已成為最新的項目全方位的功能機的受害者。這隻會誤導消費者需要說服到很少放縱自己。當然巧克力可以形成一個健康飲食的一部分。不需要不惜一切代價避免它,可以說這是一個問題的份量,額外咬會看起來非常無辜,如果廠商對心髒有好處,洋溢著抗氧化劑和亞馬遜superfruits滿滿。但是,糖果還有什麼立足在一個行業健康銷售?有這麼多棘手的問題在食品工業中,平衡是關鍵。 Specifically the balance between making health claims about a product while also educating consumers as to its unhealthy properties. Take Masterfoods USA as an example. In June this year the FDA sent the company a warning letter expressing how worried they were about health claims attached to the CocoaVia range. While it was not disputed that the chocolate contained a high amount of cocoa flavanols and therefore antioxidants, the FDA had a problem with the extensive 'healthy' marketing Masterfoods had used in promoting it. The US watchdog pointed out that the bar still contained an unhealthy amount of saturated fat. Needless to say, this was not given the same exposure as its antioxidant content. In Europe, a solution appears to be on the cards. Under the Health and Nutritional Claims Regulation, expected to be adopted today, any products purporting health benefits will be subject to strict examination by the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) to determine whether they are worthy of the claim. It was originally conceived that the law would automatically exclude products high in sugar or saturated fat (such as chocolate) from making health claims but a subsequent compromise was thrashed out in lengthy debates between European Council and Parliament. Now the legislation looks set to allow for such products to claim health benefits as long as only one of their unhealthy nutrients exceeds advised guidelines and is clearly marked as such on the label. If it does indeed come into force in this form, it will do much to harmonise the European functional food industry and go some way towards addressing abuse by the industry. But is it far enough? The expense and administration involved in the assessment process may well prove prohibitive, thus inducing the other extreme - companies shunning the functional label altogether. But given the potential of the soaring market, industry may judge the investment worthwhile. Either way, it's time for the functional fudgers to clean up their act. Catherine Boal is the editor of Confectionerynews.com and Bakeryandsnacks.com. She has lived and worked in the UK, Ireland, France and South Africa. If you would like to comment on this article please e-mail catherine.boal@decisionnews.com.