Functional foods industry needs watchdogs

(PRLEAP.COM) With populations in North America, Europe and Asia getting older year by year, there continues to be a massive surge of growth in the functional foods industry, and it is not showing signs of slowing down anytime soon. With this growth spurt has come countless nutritional supplements and natural foods being touted as cures of everything from arthritis to cancer. The challenge is sorting the hype from reality, and that is where a new series of health-related websites comes in.

"In the U.S., baby boomers who started turning 50 in 1996 are doing so at a rate of 300,000 per month. The interest in retarding the aging process and remaining healthy will continue to drive the market demand for functional food products," noted Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada.

According to CNNmoney in 2000, "The market for functional foods has been estimated at $20 billion annually in the U.S. alone, according to the reports. It is expected to grow at some 15 percent each year."

However, consumers must be wary about where they put their money, according to doctors such as Dr. Mercola of www.mercola.com, as many of these products and supplements may not be necessary and have simply outrageous claims associated with them that lead to highly overpriced juices, foods and supplements. In reality, there are many things one can do to save money while benefiting from new discoveries in health, especially when much of the research being done is focusing on natural anti-aging agents found in such foods as goji berries (marketed as Himalayan Goji Juice in North America), acai berries, sea buckthorn berries and other highly beneficial super foods.

“There’s no reason why people can’t grow their own goji berries or other super foods at home,” said Alan Rhode, webmaster of www.gojijuices.net, a new website that provides information comparing the companies selling goji juice and instructing consumers how to grow their own berries. “What this industry (functional foods) needs is a more thorough examination of the products via a consumer watchdog. Multi-level marketing companies would have us believe there is something special about their juice or berries, but the fact is, if you grow them at home you can get all of the benefits of goji juice for free, minus the cost of the seeds. And if you don’t have a green thumb, you can at least shop around for companies offering fair prices on organic juice or berries.”

Rhode is creating a series of websites, starting with GojiJuices.net, to monitor the different natural health products being touted by the functional foods industry and to offer alternatives to those people who cannot afford these products. Other websites in the series, not yet completed as of this release, include www.seaberries.com and www.antiagingaid.net.