Intellectual property and regulation of functional foods

Abstract

Today, there exist scientific evidences that functional foods have favorable physiological and psychological effects as well as additional functions in relation to health, apart from the basic nutritional effects, thus offering the potential of enhance health or reduced the risk of diseases. Since interest in this category of foods has increased, new products have appeared as well as the need to introduce and set up standards and guidelines for the development and promotion of such foods. Technological development in this area and involvement of great multinationals in research investment and development of new products have reinforced the importance of the intellectual property rights, especially of patent protections and trademarks.

Danas postoje naučni dokazi da funkcionalna hrana ima povoljne fiziološke i psihološke efekte, kao i to da ima dodatnu funkciju u odnosu na zdravlje, odvojeno od osnovnih nutritivnih efekata, i na taj način nudi mogućnost za poboljšanje zdravlja ili smanjenje rizika od bolesti. Kako je interes za ovu kategoriju hrane rastao, pojavili su se novi proizvodi, takođe se javila potreba za uvođenjem i razvojem standarda i vodiča za razvoj i promociju takve hrane. Tehnološki razvoj u ovoj oblasti i angažovanje velikih multinacionalnih kompanija na investiranju u istraživanje i razvoj novih proizvoda pojačali su značaj prava intelektualne svojine, naročito patentne zaštite i žigova.