REGULATORY REPORT
tional ingredients arena, which is highly
relevant to beverages in particular. Some
products may appear to be beverages but
are actually marketed as dietary supplements, and it can be a challenge for consumers to tell the difference when shopping for products. The only difference
from a consumer perspective may be
whether there is a nutrition facts panel
or supplement facts panel on the label.
In the United States, this has been the
subject of recent warning letters issued
by;FDA.;Additionally,;Health;Canada
announced in April 2012 that it will
no longer allow functional foods and
beverages to be marketed under Natural
Health;Products;Regulations.
Markus Lipp, Ph.D., is director of food standards for USP. He has 20 years of experience
in food and food ingredient issues, bottled water quality standards and genetically
modified agricultural products. For more information on USP’s upcoming symposium on
functional ingredients, visit uspgo.to/boston-s3-2012.
For more information on beverage safety and regulations for beverage processing, please visit our
Signature Series articles on our website at www.foodsafetymagazine.com/signature.asp
The Road Ahead
Functional ingredients will continue
their sharp trajectory as consumers de-
mand products with perceived benefits
to health and wellness. Beverages in
particular are poised to continue success-
fully incorporating novel ingredients.
The authenticity of these ingredients
should not be taken at face value, and
manufacturers must take steps to verify
supplier;claims.;How;are;identity;and
function intertwined? To what extent?
How;is;this;measured?;With;more;and
more functional ingredients entering the
market, manufacturers, regulators and
standards-setting bodies face a pressing
need to come to some level of agreement
on these types of questions. This is the
focus of an upcoming symposium that
USP is convening in Boston, September
18–20, 2012: “Functional Foods and Di-
etary Supplements—Global Opportuni-
ties and Challenges.”
Public standards play a critical role
here and can also assist legitimate sup-
pliers that may be competing with less-
scrupulous ones offering substances of
questionable quality. Moreover, with
many functional ingredients, industry,
regulators and standards-setting bodies are
still in uncharted territory. To preserve the
reputation of these products, greater clar-
ity on a number of fronts related to iden-
tity and functionality must be achieved.
Otherwise, functional claims may become
unreliable and meaningless. n
