The Wall Street Journal published an article yesterday examining the latest trend of fortifying foods with extra nutrients. The article quotes ACSH advisor Dr. Adam Drewnowski, a nutrition professor at the University of Washington, who points out that the issue isn t so much whether these calorie-dense functional foods work, but how individuals perceive them: The trend is so new, we re waiting on this data, but because people assume their nutritional needs have been met, there s a chance they ll make poorer choices for the rest of their meal.
ACSH s Dr. Ruth Kava adds: There are no daily requirements established for many of these added compounds, so there s no way for a consumer to know if the amount in a particular food will be too little, just right, or excessive.
For more information, see ACSH s publication on functional foods