We add substances to processed food in in increasing amounts using more and more diverse substances. E.g. adding omega-3 fatty acids is good for you – it works against depression, cardiovascular disease, homicide, improves IQ of babies, etc.
Claims are being forwarded as to the benefits arising and companies are asked to supply evidence for these claims. Functional foods are may be not so easy to make? Scientific studies will form the basis for a claim, and improving understanding of what food does to your body must be OK.
America’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and EU via the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) will look into regulation of such claims so as to better asses nutrition and health factors. In the process we can expect clearer information as to what “healthy” really means. This also means that the ingredients of food will be better understood, including what it means for human health – benefits and drawbacks – the last must also be established.
Food as a drug can be linked to the pharmaceutical industry, personalizing food and linking it to your personal metabolism is possible, selling services like dietary analysis and training is coming up ….
Keep also in mind the link to nanofoods – food is getting more and more complex – we must make sure we know what is going on.