The Gerber Baby Food Company plans to introduce a snack for preschoolers with a compound that is supposed to improve their concentration. The agent, docosa hexaenoic acid, is already being fed to Japanese schoolchildren to improve their grades. After some initial stumbles, the world's largest drug and consumer-goods companies are back with plans to introduce a growing number of these products, known as functional foods. So far, however, functional foods have raised far more controversy than they have lowered cholesterol levels. Critics contend that some manufacturers exaggerate the products' health benefits, especially when the brand may contain ingredients that do as much harm as good.
Prices are another issue.
Some manufacturers are having a difficult time rousing sales for their brands. YET the functional-food offensive is just beginning. Wall Street has bought into the idea. It's a high-margin business, so it's inviting to expand our product offerings. Though many functional foods are still being sold in test markets, some brands that have already been introduced have come without much explanation of how they work, leaving consumers without an understanding of how to use them.