Life Science Cluster – Webinar on functional foods    

Publication date: February 12, 2025

The lawyers of KIELTYKA GLADKOWSKI KG LEGAL participated on February 12, 2025, in a webinar dedicated to functional food, organized by LifeScience Cluster.

The speakers discussed the problem of the loophole in the form of the lack of a definition of functional food in both Polish and EU law. Experts proposed a working definition, according to which functional food is a food product that, in addition to providing nutrients, performs additional functions. However, it was noted that this type of food cannot be treated as a substitute for medicines or presented as “medicinal food”. Importantly, functional products are not “safer” than standard food – every food approved for sale in the European Union must meet identical safety standards.

There were presented the organization’s activities to date in the development of functional food, including the workshops and analyses of key challenges in this field. Among them were the issues of climate change and the need to develop personalized nutritional programs adapted to the individual needs of consumers. The cluster is also involved in international cooperation with other organizations dealing with nutrition and actively works to promote and develop the functional food market. One of the effects of these activities is a report containing conclusions and recommendations regarding this branch of the food industry.

An important point of discussion was the issue of the lack of legal regulations regarding functional food. Participants drew attention to the challenges resulting from legal uncertainty – especially in the context of innovative activities, obtaining subsidies and grants. On the other hand, there were voices warning against excessive regulation of this industry, which could limit innovation and slow down market development. The topic of hubs dealing with nutrition issues and their role in promoting knowledge about functional food was also raised.

The webinar was a valuable space for exchanging experiences and reflecting on the future of functional food. The need for further cooperation between different environments – scientific, business and legislative – was emphasized in order to create more favorable conditions for the development of this dynamically growing sector.

KIELTYKA GLADKOWSKI KG LEGAL is an active member of Life Science Cluster.