OTTAWA
| April
4, 2008 — "Contains
probiotics to aid digestion." "DHA is proven to improve brain
function and development." "Eat Omega-3s and reduce your risk
of heart attack."
 |
| Nutrients have been added to an increasing number
of food and drinks. |
These days, every nutrition label in the grocery store appears to have
a claim attached to it, enticing consumers to purchase
the product and get on the fast track to good physical health. But do
the foods themselves really live up to all that hype?
Is it worth it to go out of your way to purchase so-called “superfoods” with
added nutrients and digestive aids? Will the extra expense buy a healthier
and longer life?
The emergence of superfoods in Canada can be traced back to 2004 when
Health Canada approved the addition of Omega-3 fatty acids to certain
brands of pork. Although the name implies a relation to fat, fatty acids
refer to a kind of protein.
Les Petites Fermes du Centaure Inc., in Milton, QC, sought approval
to sell pork enhanced with Omega-3 fatty acids, aiming to increase consumption
of this nutrient.
In its request to Health Canada, Les Petites Fermes said that the Omega-3
would be added to the pork through specially-formulated swine feed.
In giving ite approval, Health Canada said: “[Our] review of
the information presented in support of the Omega-3 enhanced pork … concluded
that there are no human food safety concerns associated with their sale
in Canada.”
In other words, the enhanced pork could now be sold in Canada,
and Canadians would now be consuming Omega-3 not only in fish but also,
perhaps, in their next bacon sandwich.
The pork ruling opened the door
for companies to add other nutrients to the foods Canadians buy. Some
of those nutrients might be essential, but some are not and can even
be toxic when taken in large quantities.
Help with health
Humans require certain substances for essential bodily functions that
cannot be produced by the body.
The body makes some substances,
such as Vitamin D, by exposure to sunlight and through supplementation
with foods containing calcium such as milk and cheese.
Others, however,
must come from an individual’s
diet. Examples of such substances would include some vitamins, probiotics
and, of course, Omega-3 fatty acids.
Many people don’t eat the recommended amount of these nutrients
and may end up undernourished.
“They are basically trying to give people a helping hand,” said Mary
Ann Binnie, an analyst with Scientific and Regulatory Affairs in Food Policy
at Food and Consumer Products Canada. “People are not perfect. They may
not consume the ideal amount of food. So this offers them some options in case
they could not quite meet the requirements that day.”
Bruce Holub, a food sciences professor at the University of Guelph,
said he agrees.
"The population consumes Omega-3s in such low amounts, much lower
than is considered ideal. It’s important to increase the intake
of nutrients where there’s such a large gap between the recommended
intake and what’s
actually consumed."
Additionally, he said it is very difficult to meet one’s nutritional
requirements by following the food guide alone.
He said that since both
Canada and the United States have no official recommendation for the
consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids, people are left in the dark as to
how much is actually healthy. This is why it’s
necessary to add Omega-3s to other foods, he said.
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| It is now easier for shoppers to meet their daily
nutritional requirements with the advent of "superfoods". |
Super results?
Some nutritionists disagree. They say that the long term effects of
these foods have not been adequately studied.
Even Health Canada and
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have admitted that “preliminary
research only” shows
these foods to be beneficial and that the food guide to healthy eating
should be followed whenever possible.
Holub said the food guide is a good tool, but it is not the be-all
and end-all – and
this is why adding Omega-3 fatty acids to pork is a good decision.
“The food guide provides excellent advice, and eating the recommended
amount of fish is certainly a part of that,” he said. “But
it can get very complicated when you start getting into lean fish, fatty
fish and other kinds of fish, all of which have different amounts of
Omega 3. It’s difficult
for the average consumer to decode it all, to figure out how much they
need.
“That’s why whenever the process can be simplified, it’s a
good thing.” 
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