Our reporter Li Chenyan
Calcium deficiency, hair loss, insomnia, constipation... these health problems that are quite distressing can now be solved with just one sugar. Currently, functional foods represented by gummy candy formulations are becoming a new trend for many young people's health preservation.
On e-commerce platforms, when reporters search for "functional gummies", various products with different effects will immediately appear, such as lutein gummies, probiotic gummies, collagen gummies, niacinamide whitening gummies, etc. Many gummies are also made into various cute shapes such as bears and stars, which looks appetizing.
So, is functional gummy candy a new consumption or an intelligence tax? How should consumers choose?
A considerable portion of 'health snacks' are in a regulatory gray area
Currently, with the increasing awareness of healthy eating among consumers, snacks are becoming more functional and have become a global trend. According to market research data, the global functional food market is expected to reach $275.77 billion by 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 7.9% during the forecast period.
Among young people, there are many who eat functional gummies like snacks every day.
Soft candy is a common snack, and adding nutrients to it and upgrading it to functional snacks may better meet the current consumption scenarios and needs, "said Wu Peiying, director of the Nutrition Department of Shanghai First People's Hospital, to reporters. Young people nowadays have a fast pace of life, pursue high efficiency and instant enjoyment, and the same goes for health preservation. Compared to traditional health foods that require steaming, boiling, stewing, or simmering to consume, or health foods that are difficult to swallow in capsules or powders, young people prefer "functional snacks" that look good and taste delicious.
However, how do consumers choose functional foods with increasingly diverse varieties? The doctor explained that if the product itself has a "blue hat" label (i.e. the special logo for health food in China), its safety, effectiveness, and quality controllability are relatively guaranteed, and it is qualified as a dietary supplement. China has very strict regulations on health food, and currently there are not many 'health snacks' with a' blue hat 'on the market. Most of the gummies, jellies, meal replacements, etc. that add various nutrients can only be called functional foods at best, rather than health foods. "Wu Peiying said that due to the fact that there is only a distinction between ordinary foods and health foods in domestic laws and regulations, functional foods are still in a gray area of regulation, and consumers need to distinguish them clearly when purchasing.
Similar to 'sugar' but not 'sugar', there are regulations for consumption
After the popularity of functional gummies, another problem has arisen - perhaps due to their excellent taste, many consumers actually eat them as "sugar". A netizen bluntly said, "Unknowingly, I ate a pack and only then realized it was lutein
Li Yingjie, a nutritionist at Tongji Hospital affiliated with Tongji University, told reporters that patients often receive inquiries about various health products in outpatient clinics, but the probability of functional gummies being questioned in outpatient clinics is extremely low. "Many people think that this is just a kind of snack, and it doesn't matter whether they eat more or less," she said.
The actual situation is that functional foods made into snacks must check the ingredient list before consumption. If consumers blindly consume without considering the dosage of added nutrients, there is a certain safety risk. Taking vitamin C as an example, eating too little has no effect, and eating too much has toxic side effects. Therefore, even for gummies, they are not meant to be eaten as they please, "said Li Yingjie.
Moreover, not all nutrients are suitable for making gummies. Taking probiotics, which are currently favored by many people, as an example, there are powder, liquid, capsule, and gummy formulations available on the market. If probiotics are in liquid form, they must be stored in a refrigerated environment to ensure minimal loss of viable bacteria, "said Li Yingjie. Although probiotics made into soft candy or capsule form are relatively easy to store and transport, it is worth discussing whether their bacterial content can meet the needs of the human body. Therefore, selecting the right dosage form is equally important for different nutrients.
Many consumers also tend to purchase from overseas. Doctors remind that health food marketing standards vary from country to country, and those suitable for foreigners may not be suitable for countrymen. It should be pointed out that health supplements can only be used as dietary supplements and cannot replace drugs. If there is any physical discomfort, it is necessary to seek medical attention and timely treatment.
Avoid following the trend and seek medical attention before taking
In addition to gummies, other foods currently endowed with health benefits include jellies, meal replacements, etc. The sales channels for these functional foods are mostly online, often relying on online hosts on shopping platforms to promote and sell products. Some doctors have noticed that many consumers purchase functional foods out of anxiety about health, weight, image, and other aspects, but they lack sufficient knowledge of nutrition and are more likely to follow the trend and try them out.
Faced with functional foods that lack a prescription, consumers should be more clear about whether they need to supplement nutrients? What nutrients should be supplemented? To what extent should it be supplemented? Although health supplements are not drugs, they should not be taken casually. If the nutrient content does not meet the standard, they cannot be effective. Excessive intake is not beneficial to physical health, "said Li Yingjie. Before consuming functional foods, it is best to ask a doctor to check and ensure their quality.
At present, there are many real snacks in the market that are disguised as health products, as well as' fake snacks' that conceal drug effects, "said Li Zhiping, director of the Pharmacy Department of Fudan University Affiliated Children's Hospital. He believes that market diversification is worth encouraging, but ordinary consumers are not professional groups after all, and sometimes they will be 'planted' just because of an advertisement, clicking on a link and buying. Therefore, functional foods not only need to be regulated before being marketed, but post marketing regulation is also indispensable.
Many industry experts also suggest that the nutrients needed by the general population should be obtained from a normal daily diet. Functional foods are only a dietary supplement and should not be overly relied upon. If you want to have a healthy body, the most important thing is to develop good lifestyle habits.
Source: Wen Hui Bao