Abstract
The deterioration of air quality in China has resulted in many people looking for technological approaches or medical remedies to counteract the impact that air pollution is perceived to be having on their health and wellbeing. As the importance of diet on immune health is becoming increasingly well recognised, there is increasing interest in the development of food products designed to help the immune system recover from the impact of air pollution. A narrative literature review was undertaken to elucidate Chinese consumers’ acceptance and market potential of functional food products designed to help the immune system recover from the impact of air pollution. Topics reviewed included, the functional food market in China, scientific findings on how functional foods / ingredients can enhance immune health, the actions that Chinese consumers take to limit exposure to and combat the effects of pollution and their perceptions of immune-boosting functional foods. Consumers’ attitude towards functional foods including those designed to enhance the immune system were mainly positive, with scientific validation being important in determining the credibility of a product. This was despite the fact that the effectiveness of the functional food products currently in the market which purported to be remedies for pollution-driven impacts on the lung did not appear to be supported by scientific evidence. Numerous studies have reported functional foods could provide a wide range of benefits to immune health, including helping pollution-driven immune issues. This review shows that there would appear to be market demand for effective and scientifically-proven functional food products that help Chinese consumers’ immune system recover from the impact of air pollution