Science-based regulatory approach for safe nutraceuticals

Food safety is a very complex issue. The food that reaches the plate from the farm is exposed to many hazards in processing methods and each of those steps is likely to contribute, indirectly or directly, to contaminants and pathogens that ultimately make the food unsafe. Consumers would always wish for 100% product safety; even regulators want to ensure 100% safety of the product and protect consumers. Every country has its own food safety regulations, but the application of food safety management in the plant and prescription of standards with a clear network of organising the risk analysis in the chain is lacking. However, with the wide array of new health products - nutraceuticals, nutritional supplements, functional foods, dietary supplements, foods for special medical purposes and foods for special dietary uses - safety draws the attention consumers to a much greater extent. Foods may contain herb/plant or animal extracts that perhaps were not previously ingredients, making health claims a very challenging and difficult task for manufacturers and regulators in the food industry. This Mini-Review attempts to address this issue from a science-based viewpoint. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.