Food security regulation, consumer protection and prevention of lifestyle-related diseases

Current evidence indicates that lifestyle-related diseases are determined by both environmental and genetic factors. The European legislation concerning the safety and wholesomeness of food, based on Regulation. 178/2002, has introduced a number of measures to provide the basis for the assurance of an high level of protection of human health and consumers interest in relation to food. This includes the risk analysis, precautionary principle, protection of consumers interest, traceability of food, the European food safety authority, and the rapid alert system. We have examined this problem further. The results of our studies show that all of these rules are not sufficient to protect human health as the consumer interest in relationship to nutrition and health has increased substantially in Europe. In addition, functional foods have not been defined by EU legislation, even if their benefits have been widely demonstrated in a number of research studies which establish the scientific basis to support claims for functional components or for the foods containing them. In conclusion a close relationship and mutual cooperation between food functional studies and more suitable regulations becomes even more necessary. It is anticipated that such attitude may deliver substancial contributions to both the prevention of life-style diseases including type 2 diabetes and to consumer protection.