Health claims and functional foods

Australia and New Zealand are currently preparing a new food standard, which will allow the use of health claims for functional foods. The aims of this study were to summarise current regulatory proposals and to review recent research from the National Centre of Excellence in Functional Foods on the use and understanding of health claims. All relevant publications from the National Centre of Excellence in Functional Foods, cited in the annual reports from 2003 to 2007, were reviewed and summarised. Five publications have reported surveys of the use of health claims on food labels, in magazine advertising and on the Internet. High-level claims that do not comply with current food regulations are being used, particularly in advertising. Both dietitians and marketing experts agree that many of the claims currently used are potentially misleading. Focus group studies have shown that consumers are interested in health claims but are sceptical about their reliability from manufacturers without strong regulation. Experimental studies show that the format of claims, and the food on which they are carried, influence consumer acceptance. Many factors other than the actual words used in health claims influence consumer purchase decisions. However, current research indicates that claims can improve understanding of the benefits of functional foods and potentially support healthier food choices.