Consumers’ Views on Functional Foods

Abstract

Ask a U.S. consumer in 1993 “What do you think of functional foods?” The universal response is, “What in the world are you talking about?” Perhaps, therein lies the most important lesson from this chapter for readers who work in the scientific community and in the business world. Consumers do indeed have views, which are discussed below, about foods which might provide health benefits beyond the traditional functions of vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients. Your neighbors and mine will ultimately determine whether there is a profitable market for foods promoted for “functional” benefits. Voters who pay taxes will also influence whether government agencies and university faculty have funding to research such functions. But consumers are not numbers or percentages. They are people. The way in which we talk with them and listen to them will shape the future of “functional foods.”