Health functional foods are produced and processed using functional ingredients, and functional ingredients are divided into individual certified raw materials, which can be used by only authorized one through review by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety(MFDS), and the materials notified by the MFDS, that can be used by anyone.
The function of 'health functional food' is not to treat or prevent diseases such as medicines, but to maintain and improve health through the normal functioning of the human body or through the activation of physiology functions, including 'Nutritive functions', 'Reduction of the risk of disease' and 'Physiological function'.
'Nutritive functions' is the physiological action of the nutrient on the human body's growth promotion and normal function. 'Physiological function' refers to the function of health contribution, enhancement or improvement of health maintenance as it has a special effect on ""normal function of the human body"" or biological activity. In addition, the 'Reduction of the risk of disease' function is that the intake of food reduces disease occurrence or the risk of health condition.
