Volume 88, Issue Suppl.2, November (2002), pp. s139-s143 © The Author 2002
doi:10.1079/BJN2002678

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Global view on functional foods: Asian perspectives

S. Arai^*
Department of Nutritional Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture, 1-1-1 Sakuragaoka, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8502, Japan

There is an old Chinese thought meaning that medicine and food are isogenic. In Japan, a national research project started to endorse the thought scientifically, with the birth of functional foods that are now known to function to reduce the risk of life-style related diseases. The science gave rise to a national policy in which some functional foods were legally approved in terms of Foods for Specified Health Use. China has also constructed a unique system for approving some functional foods. This paper pinpoints a recent trend of functional foods characteristic to Asia, with special reference to relevant topics in Japan.

Keywords:
Functional foods: Japan: Health: FOSHU