Almost three our of 10 FFC products (27.9%) made claims related to fat reduction and weight control.
Another 7.6% made fatigue-related claims and 7% claimed to support abdominal and intestinal health.
This is according to “In-Depth Analysis Report on FFCs Notified in FY2024″authored by Hisaaki Kato, CEO at Japan-based consultancy Smooth Link Inc.
Skin and stress products were the fourth and fifth most commonly seen products, with 6.5% and 5.9% FFC products making these two claims, respectively.
Kato noted that intestinal health has always been one of the most common claims since the FFC framework was introduced in Japan in April 2015.
Over the years, stress-reduction-related products have started to gain traction, especially since 2023.
This was also a reason why GABA, which can claim benefits such as relaxation, sleep improvement, and overeating prevention in FFCs, was the most popular functional ingredient used. Aside from single-ingredient products, GABA was also commonly formulated with lutein, zeaxanthin, or Apocynum venetum-derived hyperoside and isoquercitin.
The fatigue relief market is also expected to reach JPY$37.4bn (US$239.2m) in 2025. Commonly used ingredients in FFCs for fatigue relief include amino acids, citric acid, and acetic acid, Kato noted.
Targeting lifestyle issues
Nonetheless, the purpose of FFC is consistent, with most products targeting lifestyle issues.
“Looking at the top five health claims since fiscal year 2015, they include reducing triglycerides, lowering blood sugar levels, promoting intestinal health, and improving abdominal conditions, such as reducing belly fat and improving bowel movements.
“In 2016, maintaining memory and fatigue recovery were added to these. While there have been minor fluctuations—such as triglycerides dropping in rank and visceral fat rising starting in 2022, and stress reduction entering the rankings from 2023 onward—the trend remains consistent: most products target lifestyle-related diseases," Kato wrote in the report.
The remaining top 10 most common claims made by FFCs were eye health (5.8%), sleep (5.4%), blood glucose management (4.4%), blood pressure management (3.9%), and cognitive function (2.9%).
In total, the top 10 most common claims comprised 77.3% of the total 4,021 health claims seen in FFCs.
Although not yet in the top 10 list, a record number of immune support FFC products was seen. This is due to the growing number of functional ingredients approved to make immune health claims. One of the latest ingredients approved was Euglena gracilis EOD-1-derived paramylon as β-1,3-glucan.
In total, there were 1,584 FFCs between April 2024 and March 2025, surpassing the total number of 1,433 in the same period in the previous year.
Aside from GABA, ellagic acid, astaxanthin, inulin, and reduced co-enzyme Q10 were also commonly used in single-ingredient FFC products.
Systematic reviews the most common
Similar to previous years, the use of systematic reviews was the most common when manufacturers filed a notification with the Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) – the governing body of FFC in Japan.
The FFC is a notification system where manufacturers submit documents on the safety and evidence of their products’ functionality using findings from systematic reviews, clinical trials, or both.
The majority (98.1%) of the products made functional claims based on systematic reviews, with only 1.6% of the products relying on clinical trial evidence.
