The term “nutraceutical” is used to describe these medicinally or nutritionally functional foods. Nutraceuticals, which have also been called medical foods, designer foods, phytochemicals, functional foods and nutritional supplements, include such everyday products as “bio” yoghurts and fortified breakfast cereals, as well as vitamins, herbal remedies and even genetically modified foods and supplements. Many different terms and definitions are used in different countries, which can result in confusion.

Nutraceuticals are products that are derived from food sources and have potential health benefits beyond their basic nutritional value. They are often marketed as dietary supplements and can include vitamins, minerals, herbal extracts, amino acids, and other natural compounds.

Food labelling regulations do not allow food labels to carry health claims in many countries. This makes it hard for companies marketing nutraceuticals to advertise the benefits of their products without a medicine license, so they may decide either not to do any research or they may research a new product thoroughly and possibly obtain a patent. Unfortunately, many companies tend towards the former option due to either expense, the problems of obtaining a patent on a natural product, or the fact that they cannot put their claims on the label without a product licence, whether verified or not.