The FDA's tougher stance toward food companies making health claims hasn't stopped manufacturers from touting the unusual benefits of "functional" foods, products perceived as possessing health benefits beyond their basic nutrients, according to an interesting feature in the Wall Street Journal.

You may have heard of some of this latest crop of foods, that include a green tea/ginger ale drink and a soft drink with vitamins and minerals added. And, marshmallows imported from Japan that contain collagen, cited in the WSJ piece, are available in the UK, but not the U.S. Nevertheless, the market for functional foods -- a $30.7 billion industry based on 2008 numbers -- is projected to grow by 40 percent over the next five years.

The unspoken problem: Enhanced foods are processed in ways that destroy nutrients, says Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University. For example, some yogurts may be advertised as featuring extra probiotics, but the processing necessary to include them breaks down the probiotics that already exist in that food.

Unlike many nutritional experts, Nestle recommends staying away from such "Frankenfoods," urging consumers instead to take a multivitamin.

Wall Street Journal June 15, 2009