The purpose of this study was to find efficient and customized tools for delivering the benefit of health functional foods (HFFs). Delivery tools which could influence the impact of advertising were images, explanations of ingredients, diagrams of health benefit, patents, and comments from authority. Six advertisements were developed using these tools: “A”: relevant image + explanation of ingredients + scientific diagram of efficacy; “B”: relevant image + explanation of ingredients; “C”: relevant image; “D”: irrelevant image; “E”: irrelevant image + explanation of ingredient + patent; “F”: irrelevant image + explanation of ingredient + comments from authority. To analyze the consumer perceptions on HFFs and advertisement effects, 300 respondents were requested to answer a questionnaire comprising of the following questions: 5 questions of attitudes (necessity of HFFs, trust in HFFs, gathering information, watching advertisements and trust in advertisement claims) and 6 questions on the 6 developed advertisements (attention, understanding, sufficiency of information, sympathy, trust, and purchase). Scoring was done as per the 5 Likert scale. There was a higher proportion of females and the elderly, as compared to males and youngsters. The overall consumer attitudes were positive. Explanation of ingredients, scientific diagram of health benefit, patents and expert comments were helpful factors in increasing the advertisement evaluation by consumer, but the images were not. Advertisement evaluation of consumer did not differ with gender and age. However, differences were observed between some of the consumer attitudes (necessity of HFFs, trust in HFFs, gathering information and trust in advertisements claim) and advertisement evaluations (attention, understanding, sympathy and purchase). Our results indicate that for consumers utilizing the HFFs, advertisements with concrete tools such as diagrams, patent, and expert comments are more helpful. However, for consumers who do not have interest in HFFs, the scientific information was irrelevant. We believe that to maximize the effect of health information in advertisements, consumers should be segmented, and customized tools for each segment needs to be developed.

In this study, we analyzed the database for items reported to Korea Food and Drug Administration as for manufactured health/functional food during 2010. There were 183 health functional food products manufactured in domestic having over 2 functional ingredients (hereinafter, combinational health functional food) among total 7319 products. Among 183 products, there were 177 products having over two kinds of functional ingredient and 6 products were over 3 ingredients. The most commonly used functional ingredients in the combinational health functional food were Garcinia cambogia extracts which were used in 41 products, Octacosanol and Saw Palmetto extract. When we searched the safety information for the pair of ingredients used in combinational health functional food using several database, there were no reports for safety concern. However, as there are still safety concerns when intake various functional ingredients at once, we suggested to enforce the reporting system of adverse event in order to strength safety management of health functional food. With these complement, the safety management of health functional food might be achieved including a combinational products.

The principal objective of the present study was to survey the demands of an education program for evaluations of the efficacy of health functional foods. A questionnaire was developed and sent to 2,225 members of the Biofood Network Center. A total of 101 (4.6%) individuals responded, 54.5% of the respondents were male and 45.5% were female; the respondents' occupations (in order of prevalence) were as follows: company worker (48.5%)〉researcher (27.7%)〉student (13.9%)〉professor (5.0%)〉pharmacist (2%), and dietitian (2%). The businesses in which the respondents worked were (again in order of prevalence) as follows: research & development (64.4%)〉marketing (11.9%)〉consultation and education (5.9%)〉manufacturing and others (17.9%). 41.6% of the respondents reported experience in businesses relevant to KFDA approval for functional ingredients and health functional foods. The results showed that 63.4% of the respondents had previously been educated about functional foods; the types of education program reported were (in order of prevalence): 'overview and acts of health functional food' (n=49)〉'standards and specification for health functional food' (n=41)〉'efficacy evaluation-human study' (n=24)〉'safety evaluation' (n=21)〉'efficacy evaluation-in vivo study' (n=13)〉and 'others' (n=10). Respondents preferred off-line education programs (62.4%) to on-line programs (22.8%). The preferred duration of an educational program was '2~3 days: total 14~24 hours' (30.7%); thus, short-term programs were favored. The primary requirements of a program, from the perspective of the learner, were as follows (scored on a 7-point scale); 'efficacy evaluation and case study-human study' (5.80 points)〉'standards and specification for health functional food' (5.72 points)〉safety evaluation' (5.7 points)〉'overview and acts of health functional food' (5.67 points) and 'efficacy evaluation methods of health functional food by efficacy (intensive)' (5.67 points). Preference for functionality was as follows; 'body weight & body fat' (21.8%), 'immune function' (18.8%) 〉 'blood glucose' (10.9%). In summary, the educational demand for 'efficacy evaluation and case study' was highest among the curriculum options provided, and with regard to functionality, 'body weight & body fat', 'immune function' and 'skin care' were considered most important by respondents. These results differed among respondents with different jobs and duties, and this suggests that customized education programs for health functional food should be developed.

본 연구는 건강기능식품에 대한 소비자 연구를 통하여 신뢰도를 향상시키기 위한 표시 제도를 제안하기 위해 수행되었다. 소비자가 쉽게 건강기능식품을 확인할 수 있도록 공모를 통하여 인증마크를 개발하고 소비자 조사를 실시하였다. 조사대상자는 대도시, 중소도시 등 2000명으로 하여 1:1 면접조사를 실시하였다. 조사결과 건강기능식품 인증마크의 필요도가 매우 높았고, 텍스트 형태보다 텍스트/그래픽이 혼합된 형태의 영양·기능정보의 신뢰도가 높았다. 또한 인체에 작용하는 기전을 포함한 영양·기능정보가 소비자의 신뢰도를 높이는 데 도움이 되는 것으로 조사되었다. 따라서 건강기능식품 인증마크는 소비자로 하여금 제품을 선택하는데 도움을 줄 수 있을 것으로 사료되며, 또한 건강기능식품의 신뢰도를 높일 수 있는 표시제도의 개선에 기여할 것으로 사료된다.