The alicaments market - France

An alicament (or "medicaliment", or "nutraceutical") is a food with pharmaceutical properties. It may be a natural food containing active molecules, or an artificially enriched industrial food. This designation can be detrimental to the nutraceutical trade, as it raises a number of ethical and commercial issues. the current market segmentation distinguishes between industrial foods (such as Omega-3 enriched foods, foods rich in active Bifidus, etc.) and natural foods (such as herbal or phytotherapeutic products). The health food market seems to be marking time after a rather flourishing 1990-2000 period. This is due to marketing abuses extolling the virtues of products with health benefits far in excess of their actual effects on the body, prompting consumers to speak of a veritable "scam". In the United States, Danone was fined tens of millions of dollars following a complaint from consumers who doubted the benefits ofActimel. European regulations ensure that advertising deemed to be misleading is eradicated. All the companies present in this market are heavyweights in the food industry. Competition is therefore extreme in a global health food market worth over $200 billion. The problem for the sector is to justify the price difference to consumers (Bifidus yoghurt costs twice as much as conventional yoghurt). The European Food Safety Agency (EFSA), which is responsible for examining claims, has examined 1,750 of the 4,200 submitted, with 85% of negative opinions to date.