Bright Outlook for European Functional Foods Sector and Heart Health Market

The European functional foods market earned $545 million in 2008 and is estimated to earn up to $2 billion in 2014, according to analysis from Frost & Sullivan (Palo Alto, CA), the company reported on January 13.

"A variety of ingredients positioned for heart-health, with their functional benefits, is increasingly used for the fortification of various food and beverage applications," said Frost & Sullivan research analyst Chandrasekhar S. "The preventive cost of cardiovascular disease (CVD) by virtue of these ingredients is much cheaper for the consumers than the cost of its treatment."

Nevertheless, the heart health ingredients market is restrained by a 2000 EU food-labeling directive preventing health claims from being made on products.

Nonetheless, European manufacturers have submitted their dossiers to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA; Parma, Italy) to place health claims on their ingredients.

"Manufacturers, with the help of industry associations such as GOED (Salt Lake City) are lobbying for the usage of health claims," noted Chandrasekhar.

"They are also involved in extensive branding and promotional activities to increase consumer awareness on CVD and the positive impact of the various ingredients, thereby enhancing the credibility of such awareness campaigns."