This material was produced by the Royal Society of New Zealand (RSNZ)
under contract to the Ministry of Education in 2000 and 2001. It was written
to assist teachers and schools in their delivery of the technology/ hangarau
curriculum statements. The project was jointly coordinated by personnel
from the Technology Education New Zealand (TENZ)
and National Association of Māori Mathematicians, Scientists and Technologists
(NAMMSAT) networks. Monitoring and evaluation of the material was carried
out by a national project advisory group.
In New Zealand we are familiar with a broad range of soft drink products, but
in America a new breed of "functional drinks" are fast becoming the hottest
health craze on the market. These super drinks tap into the consumer yen for
healthier foods by incorporating herbal supplements that promise to do everything
from warding off the common cold to countering the effects of aging. This trend
has sparked explosive growth in the nutrient - enhanced segment of the all-natural
beverage market which accounts for 12% of the $US65 billion soft drink industry
in the United States.
In an interview on the Today programme on the American NBC television in June
2001, dietician Elizabeth Somer talked about issues relating to these new drinks.
Part of this interview can be accessed on the www.msnbc.com
web site.
"The market for functional beverages - drinks that promise health benefits
beyond their inherent nutritional value - has nearly doubled in the last four
years and accounted for about $US4.7 billion in sales last year."
Elizabeth Somer
These new drinks can be split into three different categories:
1. Memory improvers
These drinks incorporate traditional herbal remedies like ginkgo bilboa which
is supposed to improve blood flow to the brain and increase mental alertness.
2. Mood lifters
Herbs like St. John's wort are used to entice people "looking for wisdom
and karma". Another drink product urges customers to steep away their stresses
with kava - "a sedative root from the South Seas".
3. Fat fighters
One product already on the market claims to act ""like liquid liposuction"".
It is made from the rind of garcinia cambognia, a pumpkin-like fruit with
a questionable reputation for promoting weight loss.
The rapid development of products like these and their increasing availability
is now raising a number of important issues in the United States - issues which
we in New Zealand will inevitably have to confront in the not too distant future.
In the interview, Elizabeth Somer raises concern about the safety and effectiveness
of these drinks. Although the amounts added to most of these products are very
small nobody seems to be sure how safe the products are. The FDA has never approved
the herbs and other substances being used in the new drinks . But while they
have not labelled them safe they are not banned -- and so companies are free
to put on their shelves any product they decide is safe and marketable. She
points out that little is known about optimal doses, interactions, or long term
consequences of most herbs and considers that to begin adding them haphazardly
into foods could produce any number of potential toxic effects.
"We haven't a clue how these herbs affect kids, but we do know that children's
bodies are likely to be more sensitive to effects compared to adults. Scientists
and doctors also do not know what lifetime exposure to these supplements can
do to the body."
With Americans already consuming 20-40 teaspoons of added sugar in their soft
drinks every day she warns that these new herbaliszed beverages can only encourage
people to add even more nutrient -depleted foods to their diets. ""Functional
foods"" should not be seen to be magic bullets. They won't make up for a bad
diet, or the effects of smoking, or lack of exercise.
"At best view these products as extras while fruit, vegetables, whole grains,
legumes, and other wholesome foods will always remain the mainstays of a healthful
diet."
Elizabeth Somer
Ideas for classroom use
The material covered in this interview draws our attention to some of the issues
surrounding a range of food/health products which is now beginning to become
more readily available to New Zealand consumers.
Last year Americans spent about $US 234 billion on "functional foods". The
functional drinks discussed in this interview make up only a very a small proportion
of this market.
Students could explore the nature of functional foods and consider the factors
which are likely to impact on the level of demand for these foods in New Zealand.
The implications for major producers such as our dairy industry could also be
discussed.
The interview could be also be used as a starter for exploration of general
issues relating to product development in the foods and health products industries.
Issues could include:
rapidly expansion of product range
nature of the target market
food safety legislation and regulatory requirements
consumer expectations and the validity of advertising
ethical and cultural considerations
Key factors can be identified and needs and opportunities explored. This could
lead on to student development of a range of technological solutions.
