Research leading the way to functional foods
Research into the development of functional foods would appear to be on the increase. In the Czech Republic, scientists recently announced the creation of a new non-alcoholic beer rich in a plant hormone believed to bring relief to women suffering from the menopause. Meanwhile, French researchers say they have unravelled the genetic sequence of bacteria in yoghurt, a breakthrough which is expected to lead to the development of added value dairy products. 'Functional food' or 'medicinal food' refers to any fresh or processed food thought to have a health-promoting and disease-preventing property beyond basic nutrients. This is an emerging field in food science, and has led to many being health claims. The term was first used in Japan in the 1980s, where there is a government approval process for functional foods, called Foods for Specified Health Use (FOSHU). The new Czech drink, dubbed the 'Lady Beer', contains 10 times the normal amount of phytoestogrens, a hormone found naturally in the hops of beer. The hormone has similar effects to those of oestrogen (albeit somewhat weaker) which helps maintain bone density and reduce risks of various health problems. The new beer targets menopausal women whose ovaries have stopped producing oestrogen, causing the reproductive system to gradually shut down. As the body adapts to the changing levels of natural hormones, vasomotor symptoms occur, such as hot flushes and palpitations, psychological difficulties such as increased depression, anxiety, irritability, mood swings and lack of concentration, and atrophic symptoms such as vaginal dryness and urgency of urination. The choice of food product seems appropriate for the Czech market. 'Czech women lack oestrogen in their diet, so we wanted to solve this through beer because the Czech Republic is number one in the world for beer consumption,' says Karel Kosar, Managing Director of Institute for Brewing and Malting. In France, yoghurt is one of the most popular foodstuffs, and is associated with healthy living. In addition to being a source of protein, calcium, riboflavin and vitamin B 12, it has also been claimed that yoghurt may protect against some types of cancer and may help to boost the immune system. Gallic faith in the health-healing benefits of this dairy product goes as far back as the 16th century. In the court of the French king Francis I, a Turkish doctor cured the king's persistent stomach trouble by putting him on a Bulgarian yoghurt diet. Now, scientists at France's National Institute of Agronomic research (INRA) say they have successfully mapped the 1,800 gene sequence of one of the two bacterial strains in yoghurt (Lactobacillus bulgaricus). The genetic coding of the other bacteria present, Streptococcus, was also recently sequenced. This will make it easier to understand the functions of the different genes and how the bacteria evolve in foodstuffs. It is also expected to open the way to the development of new functional yoghurt products. It may be no surprise to hear that Danone, the French food group, helped fund the research. In recognition of the growing importance of functional foods for consumers and industry, the European Commission is proposing to introduce a Regulation on Health and Nutrition Claims to ensure that consumers are not misled by unsubstantiated, exaggerated or untruthful claims about foodstuffs. With the proposed legislation, consumers would be able to rely on clearer and more accurate information on food labels, enabling them to stay fully informed when making food choices.
Countries
Czechia, France