RESEARCH ARTICLE


Integration of Functional and Traditional Food in Emerging Markets: Regulatory and Substantive Aspects of Yerba Mate and Quinoa



Claudia Elena Gafare1, Mauro Serafini2, Giulia Lorenzoni*, 3, Dario Gregori3
1 Department of Nutrition, University of Buenos Aires and Food and Diet Therapy Service, Acute General Hospital Juan A. Fernández, Buenos Aires, Argentina
2 Department of Environmental Biology, University of Roma “La Sapienza”, Roma, Italy
3 Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy


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Creative Commons License
© Gafare et al.; Licensee Bentham Open

open-access license: This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 4.0 International Public License (CC BY-NC 4.0) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/legalcode), which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.

Correspondence: Address correspondence to this author at the Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular sciences, University of Padova, Via Loredan 18, 35121, Padova, Italy; Tel: +39 3333654846; E-mail: giulia.lorenzoni@unipd.it


Abstract

Given the rising cost of healthcare, the increase in life expectancy and the wish for a better quality of life, the request for foods and beverages producing a beneficial effect on health has increased worldwide. “Functional food” is a new concept and may play a key role in diseases’ prevention and management. Although its meaning is currently under definition, its role in global health improvement is growing constantly.

This article aims at giving a description of existing legislation on functional food in South America, identifying future directions for health and marketing policies. Furthermore, authors provide a literature revision on two products widely consumed in Latin American countries: Yerba Mate and Quinoa. Thanks to their beneficial health effects in terms of disease prevention and promotion of well-being, they may be considered as functional foods with a potential key role in health care.

Keywords: Food Policies, Functional Food, Health Claims, Nutrition, Quinoa, Yerba Mate.