Functional food - nutraceutical product: Some opinions by view-point of management

The concept of nutraceutical food was introduced firstly in United State in 1989 by Stephen Defelice, the founder of the Foundation for Innovation in Medicine. It is defined as a product that considered as a food or a part of food, provided medical or health benefits, including disease prevention and treatment”. The health sector should review and re-evaluate the importance and potential of the nutraceutical food market and plan the development strategy for this novel avenue. The unique definition of nutraceutical product is needed. The Ministry of Health should direct the management of these products as medications rather than foods and the regulations of registration, labeling and take testing samples should be available