Conference abstract
Challenges of formulation and marketing of food supplements and nutraceuticals in Cameroon
Pan African Medical Journal - Conference Proceedings. 2023:17(75).04
Jun 2023.
doi: 10.11604/pamj-cp.2023.17.75.1814
Archived on: 04 Jun 2023
Contact the corresponding author
Keywords: Nutraceutical, chronic disease, farm, pharmaceuticals
Oral presentation
Challenges of formulation and marketing of food supplements and nutraceuticals in Cameroon
Paul F Seke Etet1,2,&
1Department of Biochemistry and Biochemical Sciences, University of Garoua, Garoua, Cameroon, 2Brain Research Africa Initiative (BRAIN), Yaoundé, Cameroon
&Corresponding author
A nutraceutical is a substance whose physiological benefits include protection against chronic disease and nutritional value. There are four categories of nutraceuticals: (i) Functional foods, which are whole foods and enhanced dietary components with the potential to prevent or improve chronic disease, among other health benefits beyond the traditional nutrients that they contain; (ii) Food supplements, which are products containing nutrients derived from food, generally concentrated in powder, liquid, pill or capsule forms, and that also include many molecules with strong medicinal potential sold in this category because in general the regulation for the development and marketing of food supplements is less strict than the regulation on medicines; (iii) Medical foods, which are products formulated either for unsupervised consumption or for administration under medical supervision for the dietary management of specific diseases through specific nutritional requirements based on scientific and medical evidence; and (iv) Farmaceuticals, a term coined from the words "farm" and "pharmaceuticals", which are components of drugs produced from modified agricultural crops or animals, a simplified and more cost-effective approach than conventional methods with higher incomes for agricultural producers and for the economy of rural areas. The challenges and commercialization of the formulation of nutraceuticals, and dietary supplements in particular, in Cameroon, include technological, technical, societal, and legal barriers that could be overcome through cost-effective approaches, including inter-professional collaborations, training,capacity building, and supporting policies.
Challenges of formulation and marketing of food supplements and nutraceuticals in Cameroon
Paul F Seke Etet1,2,&
1Department of Biochemistry and Biochemical Sciences, University of Garoua, Garoua, Cameroon, 2Brain Research Africa Initiative (BRAIN), Yaoundé, Cameroon
&Corresponding author
A nutraceutical is a substance whose physiological benefits include protection against chronic disease and nutritional value. There are four categories of nutraceuticals: (i) Functional foods, which are whole foods and enhanced dietary components with the potential to prevent or improve chronic disease, among other health benefits beyond the traditional nutrients that they contain; (ii) Food supplements, which are products containing nutrients derived from food, generally concentrated in powder, liquid, pill or capsule forms, and that also include many molecules with strong medicinal potential sold in this category because in general the regulation for the development and marketing of food supplements is less strict than the regulation on medicines; (iii) Medical foods, which are products formulated either for unsupervised consumption or for administration under medical supervision for the dietary management of specific diseases through specific nutritional requirements based on scientific and medical evidence; and (iv) Farmaceuticals, a term coined from the words "farm" and "pharmaceuticals", which are components of drugs produced from modified agricultural crops or animals, a simplified and more cost-effective approach than conventional methods with higher incomes for agricultural producers and for the economy of rural areas. The challenges and commercialization of the formulation of nutraceuticals, and dietary supplements in particular, in Cameroon, include technological, technical, societal, and legal barriers that could be overcome through cost-effective approaches, including inter-professional collaborations, training,capacity building, and supporting policies.
