MAKANAN FUNGSIONAL DAN SERAT PANGAN

As we are moving into the 21st century, the world’s demand for food is becoming ever greater. In the poorest nations, the lack of availability of food supply leads to micronutrient deficiencies. In contrast, in developed countries, people enjoy greater varieties and quantity of foods leading to the effect of overnutrition (obesity, heart disease, and cancer).
In response, the concept of food is changing from an emphasis on health maintenance to promoting better health by helping to prevent chronic illness. Functional foods are designed to help people reduce their risks of some diseases (by preventing them) through readily available, good-tasting diets rather than through the use of curative measures only. The distribution of potential ingredients in functional foods is dietary fiber (40 %), calcium (20 %), oligosaccharides (20 %), lactic acid bacteria (10 %) and others (10 %).
The perspectives of Western and Eastern, somehow, are not totally competent. People living in the Eastern hemisphere believe that certain foods have a therapeutic benefit. Whereas those living in Western are considered to be more conscious of their health.
The food industries and government agencies have an agreement to establish definitions and substantiation for functional food. This aims to protect the consumer and
build consumer confidence.