Antioxidant Update

Many products available although the term ‘antioxidant’ is not used.

By Ron Bailey

At the time the previous article on antioxidant products and technologies in Japan was written for Nutraceuticals World nearly two years ago, the Japanese antioxidant market was just becoming active, with the introduction of many new products and ingredients. Consumers in Japan were clearly showing an interest in this relatively new category across a wide range of food product forms from beverages to refrigerated dairy products to snack foods.

During the past two years, Japanese consumer awareness of antioxidants has continued to increase, as new ingredients are introduced and information about the benefits of antioxidants is published. What is interesting, however, is that at the same time that consumers have become more aware of the claimed benefits of antioxidant ingredients, the market positioning (off-label, since labeled health claims are generally not allowed) for the products appears to be shifting to a focus on specific health benefits and not the actual antioxidant properties. Part of this shift in emphasis is no doubt related to Japanese government concerns that the term “antioxidant” may be misleading and should not be used on product labels to imply a health benefit. Even English-language imports are requested to remove the term from the product name if not the entire label. A few examples might be helpful to demonstrate the impact of these developments in the marketplace:

*ifia (International Food Ingredients and Additives) Japan 2000. A review of the guidebook for this annual show held last May in Tokyo confirmed that many of the exhibitors were exhibiting known antioxidant ingredients (e.g., green tea polyphenols, blueberry and bilberry extracts, red wine polyphenols, cocoa polyphenols, grape seed extract, palm oil carotene, rosemary extract). Most of the exhibitors did not mention the specific term “antioxidant” in their ingredient abstract printed in the guidebook, however, and in fact when the term was used it was more often by the overseas ex­hibitors (Wild Blueberry Association of North America and the North American Blueberry Council, for example). At the actual exhibits, however, it was possible to review exhibit posters and obtain scientific literature showing antioxidant efficacy using a range of in vitro testing methods common in Japan.

*Health Ingredients Japan 2000. A review of the guidebook for this annual show held last September in Tokyo yielded similar results, even though the focus of the show tends to be on functional food/nutraceutical applications rather than the more food-oriented ifia show. Lutein, lycopene, beta-carotene, cocoa polyphenols, blackcurrant anthocyanins, eucalyptus polyphenols, etc. were listed in the abstract without reference to their antioxidant properties. However, a “RICE-utical” line of rice-derived components from Tsuno Foods & Rice did mention antioxidant properties, as did Fuji Chemical Industry’s algae-derived astaxanthin and Takara Shuzo’s agaro-oligosaccharide obtained from seaweed. And again, at the actual exhibits all of the companies were able to provide printed in vitro antioxidant support data for their ingredients.

*JapanScan Food Industry Bulletin. The November and December 2000 issues of this monthly U.K. publication were also reviewed to confirm the conclusions reached from the trade show guidebook reviews. Past issues of JapanScan have regularly used the term “antioxidant” (directly translated from Japanese sources) to describe ingredient and product benefits. What was confirmed in the two issues reviewed is that the current positioning is on the health benefits of the products and ingredients and not their antioxidant properties. For example, there were mentions of cranberry for eye health and urinary tract health, green tea extracts for anti-caries, anti-microbial properties and also cancer. Lutein was focused on macular degeneration prevention, lycopene for prostate cancer prevention and cocoa polyphenols for reduction of LDL cholesterol and prevention of arteriosclerosis. It should be kept in mind that none of these health-related benefits can actually be used on the food or health food product labels, however, unless the ingredient is the “functional component” of an approved FOSHU (Food for Specified Health Use) product.

* FOSHU Antioxidant Functional Components. Just as was reported two years ago, there are still no approved FOSHU foods allowed to make an antioxidant claim in Japan, even though the FOSHU retail market has more than doubled since that time to over $3 billion U.S. at retail with over 200 approved products. The likely reason is that “antioxidant efficacy” is not considered a health claim in Japan and therefore cannot be used in support of a FOSHU product approval. Green tea polyphenols are approved in FOSHU products for their anti-caries properties, for example, even though by now many (most?) Japanese are aware that green tea has health benefits related in part to the antioxidant properties of the polyphenol catechins. Similarly, the general health benefits of the cocoa polyphenols are becoming well known, with many chocolate and cocoa products now including the quantitative level of polyphenols on the label. The only two chocolate products approved as FOSHU do so with anti-caries claims related to the addition of green tea polyphenol concentrates, however, not the presence of cocoa polyphenols.

Primary Uses Of In Vitro Antioxidant Findings In Japan

It should be somewhat clear from the examples cited that there appears to be very little government support or consumer marketing value for a simple “antioxidant” claim in Japan, given the wide range of ingredients that have shown in vitro antioxidant efficacy. Japanese consumers are not particularly interested in the antioxidant results, but instead want to know the actual potential health benefit(s) derived from consumption of the ingredient. In the past in Japan there was a claim made for many food and beverage products that they were “suitable for general health and beauty,” but modern consumers are requiring considerably more science in support of actual health benefits claims. The companies in Japan, therefore, are appropriately using the in vitro antioxidant testing techniques, often making comparisons to known antioxidants with proven health benefits (such as vitamin E) as tools to help predict a favorable in vivo response in more rigorous testing. The ultimate consumer interest in antioxidant ingredients is in their “anti-aging” properties, just as in the U.S., but focused on a variety of specific health conditions and not the “cure-all” approach claimed previously.

The Future of Antioxidants in Japan

There is no question that Japanese companies will continue to evaluate natural (usually plant) materials for their antioxidant properties, both domestic-sourced and from overseas. Scientific data developed overseas for food ingredients, such as the positive findings on blueberry anthocyanins, are of considerable interest in Japan and are widely used in the promotion of such foods to consumers. Japanese consumers will need help relating the test results to their own health, but there is sufficient interest that it is worthwhile for food and food ingredient companies to develop the supporting data. Eventually, some company might even be able to develop support for an actual in vivo antioxidant health claim suitable to allow approval of a FOSHU product in Japan, ideally related somehow to the ultimate goal of “anti-aging.”

NW

Ron Bailey is president of California Functional Foods and has been an independent consultant for the past 15 years, focusing primarily on the transfer of food technology between the U.S. and Japan. He can be reached at 165 Almond Street, Ashland, OR 97520; 541-488-3184; Fax: 541-488-3274; E-mail: bailey@mind.net