Summer 2001 Issue — What is happening in Europe?
United Kingdom: New opportunities for healthy products

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Great Britain is usually regarded as the market where new trends originating from the United States are followed before the European Continent does. The development in dietary supplements and functional foods are greatly influenced by what is happening in the US. Compared to other countries in Europe, the UK is seen as one of the more liberal countries for dietary supplements and functional foods. The UK market for vitamins, minerals and supplements is estimated at 350m GBP in 1999. In the period 1994 to 1998 the growth in the mineral segment was about 240% (Mintel-Market Intelligence, 1999). Calcium sales in particular have grown enormously. Dietary supplements in the UK fall under the food law. Vitamins, Minerals, herbs and other ingredients like fatty acids, carotenoids and amino acids can be used in food supplements as long they are safe and make no medical claims.

In October 2000 a EU draft directive for food supplements was submitted to the European Committee. The draft entails only the vitamins and minerals and does not include any other health ingredients or herbals. Nevertheless, the draft directive is widely seen as the beginning of harmonized regulation of food supplements on a European level.

The main segments of the functional food market in the UK are breakfast cereals (with Kellogg having the largest market share), confectionary and fats and spreads (Datamonitor, 1998). For now, the main added ingredients are iron and zinc, but other ingredients are also used. Kellogg's Nutri-grain has been present on the market for some time now and seems to do very well. Marks & Spencer's have just introduced a new line of functional food products: the "& more" line. Cereal bars, pasta, porridge, sauces and smoothies have been added with soy protein, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Currently a Code of Practice for the use of health claims on foods is being created, which is supported by the Food Standards Agency (department of MAFF). This process is overseen by the Code Administration Body (CAB) and the Expert Committee of Leatherhead to ensure that claims are properly substantiated and are not misleading. The health claim for soy proteins (as recently been approved by the American FDA) is supposed to be on the short list for early consideration.

Although the media coverage around genetically modified has settled somewhat (due to other food scares such as BSE) a public opinion poll reported that 57% of the British population is concerned about GM foods. The larger supermarket chains such as Sainsbury's have eliminated GM ingredients from all their products. They even have a selected range of meat and animal products that have been fed on a non-GM diet.

We are still a long way from harmonized regulation on a European level. However, the UK market is developing positively and in a more flexible way. Food and ingredient manufacturers, locally and internationally, expect a lot from the regulatory progress for both dietary supplements as well as the code of practice for health claims on food - in other words, new opportunities for new healthy products.

Source: Soy life Update, Vol.1, No. 6, Spring 2001 published by Soylife Nederland B.V.

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