Probiotics regulation in Latin American Countries.

BINETTI, A. G.; BURNS, P.; TOMEI, D.; REINHEIMER, J. A.; VINDEROLA, C. G.

Microbiological and Functional Aspects, Fifth Edition.

CRC Press

Año: 2018;

Functional foods can be defined as foods and food components that provide a health benefit beyond basic nutrition (IFT Expert Report, 2014). Nowadays, the demand for functional foods is increasing all over the world and constitute one of the most rapidly growing sectors of the food industry (Kearney, 2010). The current legislation indicates that food labels must have clear and accurate information so that consumers are informed when choosing a food (Salminen and van Loveren, 2012). Despite this, only few countries have their own directives and regulations regarding functional foods. Even though specific laws should exist about probiotic microorganisms and their associated-health claims, it is a challenge for scientists and the industrial sector to demonstrate the relationship of probiotics with a health effect.