Looking back at the achievements of functional food science in Japan.

This article provides a comprehensive overview of the development and current status of functional food science in Japan over the past 40 years, focusing on research initiatives funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (MESC) and the establishment of the "Food for Specified Health Use" (FOSHU) category in 1993. It highlights key scientific achievements, including the chemical identification of active food components, metabolism studies, application of "omics" technologies, and discovery of molecular targets such as the 67-kDa laminin receptor for epigallocatechin gallate. The article also discusses the role of international collaborations, notably the International Conference on Food Factors (ICoFF) and the American Chemical Society (ACS), in advancing the field. Despite progress, the article notes ongoing challenges, including unclear public health impacts of FOSHU and Foods with Function Claims (FFC), and calls for more rigorous scientific evidence and novel regulatory frameworks to ensure safety and efficacy.