78-1 |
The neutraceuticals in Asia |
S. HSIA, Consultant, 23 Hidden Creek Dr., Irvine, CA 92620-1255 For ages people in Asia because of their culture and beliefs have taken herbs as part of their daily food supplements. Oriental medicines are often used to treat symptoms and diseases. However, until today some applications are still based on a single experiment with proprietary formulas. Thus, the effectiveness and reproducibility of the oriental medicines are sometimes being questioned by the western medical world. In some cases, different plant sources, or ways in the preparation of the medicine can cause tremendous differences in clinical results. In recently years, Asian countries started to perform research on herb medicines to reduce the variability in manufacturing. The governments in Japan, China, and Taiwan have begun to regulate these types of "health foods" as pioneer steps to explore the "nutraceutical field". Other Asian governments have also expressed a high degree of interest to enter the "nutraceutical field". The differences among drugs, OTC drugs, vitamins, minerals, herbs, and "health foods" in Asia will be discussed in this presentation. The Asian countries to be reviewed are Taiwan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, and Japan. An overview of the regulation requirements on "healthy foods" in these countries will also be discussed. Example cases on the introduction of neutraceutical products in Asia will be reviewed. The demands and future trends of the neutraceutical marketplace in these countries will also be covered.
Session 78, Traditional Asian functional food products and markets
|