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Functional Foods are common foods that contain added, beneficial ingredients, which provide a health advantage beyond their recognized nutrients (e.g. orange juice fortified with calcium or eggs with omega-3 fatty acids). The move towards Functional Foods is so strong that the estimated global market has reached more than US$30 billion. The US market alone contributes $15 billion annually to this and the Nutrition Business Journal estimates it will grow to $34 billion by 2010.
The observed growth in this market is driven largely by consumers' aim for a healthier lifestyle through a dietary approach. One such goal is to decrease the rate of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD). Important risk factors of CVD include: elevated levels of LDL-cholesterol, diets high in saturated fats, sedentary lifestyles and smoking. High levels of cholesterol are prevalent in over 300 million individuals in the US, Western Europe and Japan alone, and is forecast to grow at a rate of 3.9% to 2007.
With CVD being one of the leading causes of mortality in the world, over 75% of consumers are concerned about reducing heart disease and cholesterol, and nearly 90% would favor a dietary approach as an alternative to medication.
Forbes' proprietary functional food ingredient, Reducol™, is a unique blend of plant sterols and plant stanols that have been clinically proven to provide an LDL-cholesterol lowering benefit of 10 -- 15%. Reducol™ has approval for use in certain food groups and in dietary supplements within the USA, Europe and Australia/New Zealand. It is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) in the USA and Forbes has permission for health claims such as, lowering of blood cholesterol and risk reductions claims for certain cardiovascular diseases and/or ailments.
A large body of scientific research has documented the ability of phytosterols to reduce blood cholesterol levels. Clinical studies conducted by Forbes with Reducol™ in the USA, Europe and Canada have demonstrated a significant cholesterol lowering effect, between 10-15%, using various food matrices such as vegetable spreads and oils, low-fat foods, cereals, confectionary, juices, vegetable-fat spreads and milk drinks.
From a broad spectrum of the Functional Food and Nutraceutical Industry, Forbes Medi-Tech has assembled a first-class team of internationally recognized experts to direct the company focus through new and existing opportunities of disease research innovation and commercialization.
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