functional food

[ fuhngk-shuh-nl food ]

noun

1. a food that is fortified or enriched to provide beneficial properties beyond the nutritional value of the food in its unenhanced state: in some jurisdictions, as in Canada or Japan, functional foods must be labeled to specify the purported physiological benefits, including disease prevention or treatment.

functional food

noun

1. a food containing additives which provide extra nutritional value Also callednutraceutical

Word History and Origins

Origin of functional food¹

First recorded in 1985–90; translation of Japanese kinōsei-shokuhin, from kinōsei “functionality” (equivalent to kinō “function” + -sei, abstract noun suffix) + shokuhin “food”