Physiological functionality in foods: a public health perspective

摘要

The concept that foods can have a third function in addition to a primary role in providing essential nutrients and a secondary need for desirable organoleptic qualities has become well established in Japan and, more recently, has appeared in the United States of America (USA) in the form of 'tri-valency'. This third property or function of food is its role in the preservation of human health. The value of this function in the United Kingdom (UK) context is discussed.