Functional food
A functional food is a food claimed to have an additional benefit beyond just nutrition by modifying the cultivation of the native food or by adding ingredients during manufacturing.
The term applies to traits purposely bred into existing edible plants, such as purple or gold potatoes having increased anthocyanin or carotenoid contents, respectively. Functional food manufacturing has the intent "to have physiological benefits and/or reduce the risk of chronic disease beyond basic nutritional functions, and may be similar in appearance to conventional food and consumed as part of a regular diet".
The term also applies to food processing practices which include ingredients purposely added with the intent to improve the food health value and for marketing to specific consumer groups.
The term was first used in the 1980s in Japan, where a government approval process for functional foods called Foods for Specified Health Use exists.
In the European Union, functional foods are conceptual rather than designated as a specific food category. The European Commission’s initiatives, such as the Concerted Action on Functional Food Science in Europe and the European Food Safety Authority, define functional foods as those that beneficially impact body functions beyond nutrition, contributing to improved health or disease risk reduction
Ingredients and market trends
Common ingredients intended to be functional when added to foods include polyunsaturated fatty acids, probiotics, prebiotics, vitamins with antioxidant properties, and protein.As of 2025, leading product trends and motivations for choosing functional foods are for energy drinks, healthy aging, active living, and weight loss, among several others.