THE ROLE OF FUNCTIONAL FOOD IN THE IMPROVEMENT OF CONSUMER’S HEALTH STATUS

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to present advances in understanding the relationship between nutrition and health that lead to the development of the concept of functional foods, which means a practical and new approach to achieve optimal health status by promoting the state of well-being and possibly reducing the risk of desease. For this purpose, the paper will look into the factors that influence consumers’ awareness of functional foods and their purchasing decisions of functional food products in the Republic of Macedonia.

The challenge of understanding the connection between diet and health has resulted in the creation of a new concept of functional products, which means a new practical approach to balance the diet with the aim to achieve optimal health and possibility to reduce the risk of deseases. Functional foods are foods that provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition ones. Biologically active compounds in functional foods may impart health benefits or desirable physiological effects. Increasing awareness of healthier food choices, its possibilities and advantages, provides higher quality of life. However, for a functional food product  to be good and widely accepted, it is necessary to link research, marketing and relevant feedback information obtained by monitoring consumers’ attitudes towards functional product, in order to meet consumers’ expectations. One  important fact in the whole concept of functional foods is informing consumers about the possibilities of functional foods, but any  information relating to health must necessarily be true, attractive, simple and intelligible to the consumer so that the concept of  functional foods being able in continuing to get developped.