This module provides comprehensive and critical understanding of functional foods, namely foods and bioactive ingredients with demonstrated enhanced physiological function or effects in disease risk reduction. On completion of this module, students will have an understanding of the health, scientific and regulatory (European Food Safety Authority) issues concerning functional foods. Students will be able to combine scientific understanding with 'real world' examples and evidence from the literature on how functional ingredients can improve health, how this can be demonstrated scientifically and how functional foods generate 'added value' for the food industry. As part of this module, students will review the most prominent studies about different functional foods and ingredients, with particular focus on bioactive compounds (approved by EFSA), designs to assess the efficacy of potential functional foods. Students will also have the opportunity to develop research and critical thinking skills, as well as improve their team-work and communication abilities by working in groups and giving seminars on same to their peers.

The syllabus of this Module encompasses non-communicable diseases global statistics, Health claims and regulations, Study designs to assess functional foods efficacy: from pre-clinical trials to human intervention studies, Change in the diet through evolution and current health implications, and Bioaccessibility/bioavailability of Functional Foods and bioactive ingredients. Furthermore, functional properties of flavonoids, beta-glucan, and dairy-based functional foods will be focused.

On successful conclusion of this module, graduates will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the importance of clinical and intervention studies to elucidate the functional effects of foods/bioactive ingredients for health benefit and be familiar with the regulatory laws which govern nutrition and health claims according to the European Food Safety Authority. Graduates will be able to know regulatory requirements to validate functional claims when bringing a new functional product to market, appreciate the vast and a varied number of claims that have been validated, and become familiar with the supporting literature around the same.

On successful completion of this module, graduates should appreciate the process by which functional foods/bioactive ingredients are validated and the process involved in ensuring such novel foods meet the regulatory constraints for the food industry.

On successful completion of this module, graduates will be able to perform detailed scientific literature searches using scientific databases to substantiate the regulation of novel functional foods/bioactive ingredients and deliver a written report on current scientific developments and a presentation on selected functional food/bioactive ingredient claims and how they were validated to permit regulation guidelines.

Lectures, tutorials and project based assignments