Contact: ILSI Japan Staff
This committee issued the second report entitled "Health Claims on Functional Foods - Proposals on Scientific Substantiation and Regulatory Systems" in Japanese in December 1999, and its full translation into English was published in August 2000 for distribution to other ILSI entities, as well as members. This report emphasized what should be taken into account when conducting a clinical trial in order to be able to appropriately use health claims. As a basis of these proposals, domestic and overseas information on recent progress of health claims from a regulatory aspect and on recent developments with functional foods from a commercial aspect were included. In April 2000, the committee started the third phase of its activities, which aims at reviewing scientific literature on the efficacy and safety of specific food ingredients chosen from the perspective of future Japanese research. The third report will be published in March 2001, and it might be referred to at the international symposium on functional foods to be held in Paris in October 2001. ILSI Japan is strengthening its relationship with the academic society, which is crucial to achieve its goals. Accordingly, the committee is collaborating with leading scientists through the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST). As deregulation is going on in Japan, the new category of Nutrient Function Foods will be established in a year. The committee's activity may contribute to developing a scientific basis for policy making by the government.