Application of biotechnology in the product development of nutraceuticals in Canada

Nutraceuticals or functional foods are any food or part of a food that provides medical or health benefits, including prevention and treatment of a disease. Fifty percent of the US food market of $503 billion may be attributable, by some estimates, to nutraceutical use if taken in its broadest definition, including dietary supplements, sugar substitutes, fat substitutes, enriched foods, vegetables, low-fat meat, skim milk, and low-calorie diets. Both the food and pharmaceutical industries are interested in and aggressively developing this product category. In the past decade, enormous progress has been made in genetic engineering and biotechnology. An account of how such new biotechnology can affect traditional methods of producing foods and beverages is therefore desirable. The purpose of this article is to review some of the strategies and the risks taken by biotechnology companies in the product development of nutraceuticals.