The First Legislation for Foods with Health Claims in Korea

This chapter reviews the regulatory framework for health/functional foods (HFFs) under the Health/Functional Food Act (HFFA), focusing on the evaluation of new functional ingredients for HFFs. The most important accomplishment in HFFA is the statutory definition of HFFs as one of food products and the introduction of new considerations for reviewing the safety and efficacy of functional ingredients. Functional ingredients can be obtained through processes such as extraction, centrifugation, filtration, and/or fractionation. These are formulated as dietary supplements or added to conventional foods. To get a good quality product, standardization is necessary. Standardization is the process that optimizes the batch-to-batch consistency using index materials. However, there are many factors that affect the standardization from handling of raw materials to the processing for final products. The ultimate goals of HFFA are to reduce consumer confusion regarding health claims made by food manufacturers and to ensure that such claims are truthful and do not mislead consumers.