Nutraceutical Foods: Benefits, Challenges and Future Trends

 

Nutraceutical foods have both nutritional and medicinal benefits. They are derived from natural sources such as plants, animals or marine organisms and contain bioactive compounds that can improve health, prevent or treat diseases, or support the structure and function of the body.

Dietary supplements are ingestible preparations that are added to the diet to provide nutrients or other substances that may be missing or insufficient in the normal diet. They can be in the form of tablets, capsules, syrups, powders or liquids and may contain vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbs, enzymes or other ingredients.

Functional foods are foods that have been modified or enhanced to provide additional health benefits beyond their basic nutritional value. They can be fortified with nutrients, enriched with bioactive components, genetically engineered or processed in a specific way.

Functional beverages are drinks that contain ingredients that have a beneficial effect on one or more functions of the body. They can be natural or synthetic and may include energy drinks, sports drinks, herbal teas, juices or water.

Nutraceutical foods are regulated by different authorities in different countries depending on how they are categorized and labelled. In India, nutraceutical foods are considered as foods under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006 and are governed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The FSSAI has issued regulations for food or health supplements, nutraceuticals, foods for special dietary uses, foods for special medical purpose, functional foods and novel food in 2016.

The demand for nutraceuticals food is growing rapidly in the present generation due to various factors such as:

1.      Increasing awareness of the health and wellness benefits of nutraceuticals food among consumers

2.      Rising prevalence of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, obesity and malnutrition that require preventive and therapeutic interventions

3.      Growing geriatric population that needs more nutrition and medical care

4.      Changing lifestyles and dietary habits that lead to nutrient deficiencies and health problems

5.      Increasing consumer spending power and preference for quality products

6.      Growing innovation and new product development in the nutraceuticals industry

7.      Expanding distribution channels and online platforms that make nutraceuticals food more accessible and convenient

According to a report by Meticulous Research, the global nutraceutical products market size was USD 291.33 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.4% from 2023 to 2030. The report also states that Asia-Pacific is the largest regional market for nutraceutical products followed by North America and Europe.

The scope of nutraceutical food in future is expected to be promising and positive as per the reports and guidelines by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. Nutraceutical food will play a vital role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations for 2030. The SDGs aim to end poverty, hunger, malnutrition, inequality, environmental degradation and promote health, well-being, education, peace and justice for all. Nutraceutical food can contribute to these goals by providing affordable, accessible, safe and nutritious food options that can improve health outcomes, reduce disease burden, and enhance productivity and economic growth. Nutraceutical food will also support the implementation of the Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health adopted by WHO in 2004.  Nutraceutical food will also align with the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) standards and guidelines developed by FAO and WHO.

However, the usage of ingredients in nutraceutical foods also poses some challenges and risks that need to be addressed by FAO and WHO.

• Lack of clear definition and classification of nutraceutical foods and their ingredients.
• Lack of scientific evidence and substantiation of health claims.
•  Lack of harmonized regulation and quality control.
• Potential interactions and side effects

To address the problems associated with the usage of ingredients in nutraceutical foods, various national and international standards have been developed or proposed to ensure the safety, quality and efficacy of nutraceutical foods and their ingredients. Development of guidelines for scientific substantiation of health claims. Several national authorities such as FSSAI in India, EFSA in Europe, FDA in USA, CFIA in Canada, etc., have developed or adopted guidelines for scientific substantiation of health claims made by nutraceutical foods and their ingredients. These guidelines specify the types, levels and quality of evidence required to support health claims, as well as the procedures for submitting, evaluating and approving health claims.

Research on new ingredients and their usages in nutraceutical products is an ongoing and emerging field that aims to discover, develop and validate novel sources, components and formulations of nutraceutical products such as Plant sterols, Polyphenols, Probiotics, Fatty acids.

The future prospects and demand for nutraceutical foods with innovative ingredients are expected to be promising and positive due to various factors such as:

• Increasing awareness of the health and wellness benefits of nutraceutical foods with innovative ingredients among consumers
• Rising prevalence of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, obesity and malnutrition that require preventive and therapeutic interventions
• Growing geriatric population that needs more nutrition and medical care
• Changing lifestyles and dietary habits that lead to nutrient deficiencies and health problems
• Increasing consumer spending power and preference for quality products
• Growing innovation and new product development in the nutraceutical industry
• Expanding distribution channels and online platforms that make nutraceutical foods with innovative ingredients more accessible and convenient

According to a report by Grand View Research, the global nutraceutical ingredients market size was USD 162.1 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.3% from 2021 to 2028. The report also states that Asia-Pacific is the largest regional market for nutraceutical ingredients followed by North America and Europe. The major drivers for the growth of the nutraceutical ingredients market are:

• Increasing population and urbanization
• Rising disposable income and middle-class segment
• Growing health consciousness and demand for natural products
• Favorable government policies and regulations
• High incidence of lifestyle-related disorders
• Emerging markets such as China, India, Japan and South Korea

Functional foods are foods that have been modified or enhanced to provide additional health benefits beyond their basic nutritional value. They can be fortified with nutrients, enriched with bioactive components, genetically engineered or processed in a specific way. The role of ingredients to upgrade the nutrient profile of functional foods is to:

• Provide essential nutrients that may be missing or insufficient in the normal diet such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids or fatty acids
• Provide bioactive compounds that can modulate physiological functions such as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents or prebiotics
• Provide functional properties that can improve the sensory, physical or chemical characteristics of the food such as flavor, colour, texture or shelf-life
• Provide health claims that can communicate the health benefits of the food to the consumers such as reducing the risk of chronic diseases, enhancing immunity, improving cognitive function or supporting weight management