Functional foods can be defined as foods that promote human health beyond basic nutrition. It is gaining worldwide acceptance as a necessary food supplement. Major global food companies are developing and marketing functional foods and ingredients as their key driver in their global business strategies. As such, numerous scientific studies have been conducted worldwide on functional foods to study their efficacy.

In October 2006, Temasek Applied Science School was approached by a local company specialising in the sales and marketing of health products to study the effects of functional foods on the antioxidant levels and in the extent of specific and non-specific immunity in an animal model.

The animal model was adapted from well established scientific publications and the project was carried out entirely in ASc using its Temasek Animal Facility and R&D laboratories. The antioxidant levels were measured using superoxide dismutase assays. Specific immunity levels were determined by flow cytometry analysis of B and T lymphocytes while the non-specific immunity levels were determined using lymphocytotoxicity assays on tumour cells.

The development and availability of the animal models have enhanced ASc's capability to help health product companies study the efficacy of their health products. Since the approach is generic in nature, the capability developed can be extended to other health foods and TCM companies requiring similar types of services.