Adulteration and Safety Issues in Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods

The search for foods capable of providing positive impacts on human health has grown in recent times due to the desire for more conscious and healthier lifestyles. In this sense, nutraceuticals and functional foods have been recognized for the various beneficial health effects associated with their ingestion, presenting several biological activities, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, antiobesity, anticholinesterase, and anticarcinogenic activities. As such they can play a potentially beneficial role in reducing the risk of chronic degenerative diseases, such as cancer and diabetes, among others. Despite the reported effects, there is no internationally accepted definition for these products and their respective labels, which leads to different regulations between countries and difficulties in market integration. Additionally, there are many counterfeit or adulterated products available, which pose a serious threat to the health of consumers. The most common inadequacies and problems are formulation adulteration, absence or insufficient amounts of the functional component, as well as traces of contamination by pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals, and adulterants. Accordingly, this chapter provides an overview of the adulteration and safety issues in nutraceuticals and functional foods around the world.