Due to the nature of some food products, it is sometimes difficult to clearly differentiate between food and dosage forms. Risk reduction claims report a significant reduction in the risk of development of a disease or abnormal physiological state through consumption of the health product. Risk reduction may occur in two ways. The product may alter a recognized major risk factor or factors of a disease or abnormal state or the product may affect a body function or system in such a way as to improve the body's ability to resist the disease or abnormal state. Treatment claims report the effects of a health product on the actions of a specific disease or its symptoms.
Treatment can include the cure or alleviation of either the disease or the symptoms of the disease.
In addition, higher-risk health products would be required to make a submission to the appropriate regulatory authority prior to product distribution. These are products which do not fit the factors for inclusion in the higher-risk category. These products would be available for self-medication purposes. Lower-risk health products would be on a notification system provided a standard existed for the product. Otherwise, the product would require a submission to the appropriate regulatory authority.