"FOODS FOR SPECIFIED HEALTH USERS"-JAPANESE SYSTEM

Labeling of health foods is a tricky matter and consumers world over are confused by different manufacturers following different practices to make one or the other health claim to promote their products. While in pharmaceutical industry, strict clinical data are demanded before a drug is cleared for a specific ailment, there are no such hard and fast rules prevailing in the food industry resulting in many players printing many claims based on unreliable published data. It is now being realized that food industry should not be allowed to make tall claims unless these claims are supported by valid scientific data. The nutraceutical and health food industry, how ever is not subjected to any control leaving a loophole for the industry to put out products with many claimed health attributes. However in Japan, a well laid down system regulates health food marketing which appears to be equitable to both the consumer and the industry. Here is a take on this interesting practice of clearing health foods in Japan. 

"It's being called the world's first "healthy cola". Japan, that boasts of the world's most stringent food regulatory laws, has approved the world's first cola for being "beneficial to health". The country's food regulatory authority has cleared 'Kirin Mets Cola' for the most sought after Foods for Specified Health Users (FOSHU) label. Japan's Health and Nutrition Food Association (JHNFA) says getting a highly sought after FOSHU certification - that can sometimes take over six months and cost as much as a million yen -- greatly boosts the credibility of approved products. Colas aren't really known for their health benefits. They are usually packed with sugar and have been fuelling the global epidemic of childhood obesity. However, according to JHNFA, this FOSHU labelled cola has zero amount of sugar and contains an indigestible form of Dextrin - a compound used as a fibre supplement, which restricts the body's ability to absorb fat while eating. "When consumed with a high fat diet like a hamburger, the drink slows down the body's ability to absorb fat thereby saving you from putting on weight. It also helps in digesting the food easily," Akira Yabuki, general manager, department of FOSHU at JHFNA, told TOI".

FOSHU certification seems to be based on the premise that each food offered as a functional food should specify the particular aspect of health which is sought to be addressed by the product. The news that the much reviled cola beverage is being given FOSHA certification may be puzzling to many but this particular product differs drastically from its famous cousins Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola in many ways. This probably shows the open mind of the regulatory authorities in assessing each product regardless of any consideration other than the data provided by the manufacturer based on scientific studies carried out by its developer. It is a laudable system worthy of emulation by countries like India for creating necessary confidence among the consumers.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com