Functional & fortified foods

Our research has looked at whether these products really do what they say, whether they are safe, affordable, and whether the information they include is adequate.

Many people take food supplements. Several 'functional food' products are also on sale, with added ingredients that allow manufacturers to claim that they are good for us.

Functional foods

Two of the most prominent examples are margarines that have added 'plant sterol esters', which claim to reduce cholesterol levels, and probiotics - products such as yoghurts with added healthy bacteria.

A great deal of research has gone into the development of these so-called 'functional foods' and so we are likely to see more of them in coming years - particularly as there is a greater focus on healthy eating.

Fortified foods

Many products are also fortified with vitamins and minerals - a lot of breakfast cereals are, for example, marketed on this basis.

Our main concerns have been around ensuring that they are safe (meaning you can't end up overdosing on a vitamin or mineral) and that they don't result in products that are high in fat, sugar or salt misleadingly being given a healthy make-over.

Forthcoming legislation

The European Commission has proposed legislation in this area. This includes vitamins and minerals, but also other substances that may be added to foods. We have set out how the legislation can ensure that consumers are better protected. In particular, we want to see:

• a list of vitamins and minerals that can be added to foods, together with purity criteria;
• maximum amounts set for the levels of vitamins and minerals that can be added to ensure that they are safe;
• minimum amounts set for the levels of vitamins and minerals that can be added so that the levels are not too low and therefore meaningless;
• a 'positive' list of other nutrients and substances that can be added to foods besides vitamins and minerals;
• the setting of nutrient profiles, for example how much fat, sugar and/or salt fortified products can contain so that consumers aren't misled into buying products promoted as healthy when they are not.

We also want to see tighter controls over the claims that are made on functional and fortified foods so that consumers can trust them. This is being dealt with under separate legislation.