In recent years, many consumers have developed an interest in
learning more about nutrition and food. Health, convenience, and
private labels have become key drivers of the world’s fastestgrowing
food and beverage categories. Consumerswant food that is
inherently healthy, yet easy to prepare and consume, especially
with women and men working an average of 7 and 8 h per day,
respectively (Sloan, 2005). Functional foods can come in many
forms, some of which are conventional foods, such as yogurt, with
bioactive components inherent to the food. Others may be foods
that are specifically enhanced to reduce the risk of disease, such as
yogurt beverages fortified with probiotics/prebiotics to maintain
the health of the colon. More research is needed to identify the role
of bioactive components such as prebiotics to determine the
optimal levels for the population subgroups and the best vehicle
foods to be enhanced to target specific population subgroups (IFT,
2006). Clear information must be provided to consumers about
functional foods and bioactive components and their role in
a healthy lifestyle. Effective communication enhances public
understanding of food and food components, allowing consumers