The Canadian regulatory system is keeping functional foods off store shelves, says a University of Guelph professor.
David Sparling told an international food conference in Calgary March 22 that Canada is falling behind other nations when it comes to functional food.
These countries allow a variety of beneficial foods and health products, but only five claims have been allowed in Canada after years of scrutiny.
“We want to recognize right now the current system is a detriment,” he said. “It is hurting us as an economy and it is hurting us as an industry.”
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In a policy paper released 10 years ago, Health Canada said it recognized that diet may modify the risk of developing certain chronic diseases.
It defined a functional food as similar in appearance to a conventional food and may even be a conventional food. It is consumed as part of a regular diet and has demonstrated benefits that may reduce the risk of chronic disease beyond basic nutrition.
The following labels and statements are allowed in Canada:
- A healthy diet low in sodium and high in potassium and reduced risk of high blood pressure.
- A healthy diet with adequate calcium and vitamin D and reduced risk of osteoporosis.
- A healthy diet low in saturated and trans fat and reduced risk of heart disease.
- A healthy diet rich in vegetables and fruit and reduced risk of some types of cancers.
- The noncariogenic benefits of nonfermentable carbohydrates in gums and hard candies.
Sparling wants more action when it comes to healthful foods for Canadians. He works with the Ontario Food Policy Institute, which would like to advise government on a plan to get more functional food on the market because access could significantly affect future health care budgets and diversify food production.
Consumer surveys show more than half of Canadians believe functional food can improve health, and as many as a third said they are likely to buy fortified food.
“We have lots of great products that are waiting to get into this,” he said.
However, Sparling said a slow approval process kills incentives for more research and development, and investors may be reluctant to support projects if they never get past the concept stage.
“The incentive to invest in research and development will start to disappear,” he added, which will result in companies and projects leaving the country.
Sparling said the regulatory system also struggles with a problem of intent. The rules were designed for pharmaceuticals to treat a medical condition with clearly defined outcomes, while functional food is designed to keep people healthy. Outcomes are often fuzzy.
Sparling also favours discussions toward harmonizing North American standards.
This does not mean duplication, he said, because differences do exist between countries. However, many products around the world have already received approval and should be allowed in Canada.
Japan is moving ahead with functional food approvals.
The government has created a complex system of approving and categorizing food for special dietary uses, said Kaori Nakajima of the Nisshin Oillio Group, an oil and meal manufacturing company. She has spent her career working on functional food and dietary supplements.
Some categories are highly regulated, such as the production and labelling of food for infants, diabetics, pregnant women and the elderly.
Another category label is food for specified health use, known as
FOSHU.
For example, dietary fibre, sugar alcohols, oligosaccharides, proteins, polyphenols, lacto- or bifido-bacilli, chitosan and sodium alginate are considered to help maintain good health. The FOSHU law regulates the marketing and labelling of products containing these ingredients.
“The nutritional content of FOSHU must be food eaten on a daily basis,” said Nakajima.
The Japanese government assesses applications for the designation.
Many FOSHU items are for lifestyle related diseases such as obesity, colon cancer and periodontal disease.
As of Feb. 5, 650 foods had been approved to carry the FOSHU label, but only about half ever made it to store shelves for a variety of reasons. These foods are found in supermarkets, health food stores and drugstores and are also sold door to door.
Many of these foods are teas or yogurt drinks. About half are used to improve digestion or relieve constipation.
Only Japanese products are eligible, but Kellogg’s All Bran cereal was the first to receive the FOSHU label because it was produced in Japan.
The label must be visible and contain nutrition facts, ingredients, warning, servings, cooking methods and preservation.
“We need to provide responsible information to the public,” she said.
No medical terms are allowed, and the language must say the food is good for someone with a particular complaint without promising a cure.
“They are very mild health claims,” she said.
