Book excerpt: Regulation of Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals: A Global Perspective offers a comprehensive resource for information on regulatory aspects of the growing and economically important functional food industry. Regulatory systems and definitions of key terms-food, supplement, drug, etc-vary from country to country. A thorough understanding of laws and regulation within and among key countries with regard to functional foods, herbal extracts or drugs, and nutritional supplements is critical to the direction of food companies that are developing products for these markets. International experts with legal and/or scientific expertise address relevant topics from quality issues, to organic foods to labeling. Innovative product development within the framework of existing regulations will be addressed in individual chapters. Overview chapters will discuss global principles, inter-country trading issues, and present a comparison of the laws and regulations within different countries graphically. A "must-have" handbook for research professionals, management, and marketing strategists in the worldwide functional foods/nutritional supplements business. Food technicians and engineers responsible for manufacturing quality in this industry should add it to their library to ensure that they have a thorough knowledge of the applicable legal requirements. The book will also serve as an indispensable shelf reference for lawyers in the food industry and government health professionals with regulatory responsibilities.