The history of health food is now in its fifth generation. What generation does the product you make belong to?

The 1st generation: Mainly products in their original form, such as ginseng, asparagus, cordyceps, deer antler and so on. Characteristics: (1) basically does not destroy the original form, consumers or experts can identify the product based on its appearance; (2) use in soup, wine, etc. as the main way; (3) slightly processed, such as slicing, etc.

The 2ed generation: It is mainly based on a variety of nutrient-fortified foods.Characteristics: (1) excessive exaggeration of the efficacy of the product in the absence of an exact scientific basis; (2) the degree of brand expansion and the quality of the product can not be synchronised; (3) the efficacy of the product does not have a scientifically accurate evaluation system; (4)oral liquid form began to appear in the market.

The 3ed generation:It is a health food product that has been approved by the relevant organisations officially recognised by the state to be produced and marketed by the government regulatory authorities after animal and human testing to prove that it has the ability to promote a certain physiological function. Characteristics : (1) the efficacy of the product has a certain scientific basis; (2) there is no more precise test data on the basic efficacy of the product's efficacy factors; (3) there are a wide variety of health food products.

The 4th generation: It is a type of health food in which the chemical structure of the active ingredients (or functional factors) in the product and their amounts have been clarified, and the mechanism of action of its health function has basically been elucidated. The characteristics of health food products include: (1) the establishment of a scientific and formal evaluation system; (2) the development of extraction and testing technology, which has contributed to the maturity of the products; (3) the professionalism of the practitioners, which has ensured the quality of the products; and (4) the emergence of a large number of various products that are identical to the dosage forms of drugs.

The 5th generation:It can be defined as a kind of health food with clear efficacy ingredients, stable quality, reliable effect, and in line with the physiological and psychological needs of consumers, which is produced under the guidance of the theory of food pharmacy and with the use of modern science and food manufacturing and processing technology. The fifth generation of health food has its own unique advantages: (1) the safety of the product is confirmed; (2) the ingredients of the product are clear; (3) the product has been scientifically verified for its efficacy; (4) the product has been substantially improved in terms of its appearance, taste, and ease of consumption; (5) people are relieved from the undesirable psychological hints when taking the product; and (6) the products are in various shapes and sizes.

Above is extracted from ‘The development trend of Chinese medicine-based health food in China’ by Hongjian Yu , Chunfu Wu, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Journal of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Issue 18, September 2016