Gadjah Mada University (UGM) will hold a national seminar on the benefits, safety and development prospects of nutraseutical products on June 25.

The chairman of the event`s organizing committee, Dr. Tanti Irianti of the university`s Pharmaceutic Faculty, said nutraseutical products were now consumed widely in various parts of the world, including Indonesia.

But systematic, continuous and comprehensive scientific studies and research still needed to be done to ensure the good quality of nutraseutical products quality is accountable, Irianti said.

"If necessary, clinical trials should be performed to determine the right doses before it is used to prevent certain diseases," she said.

According to Irianti, two-thirds of Americans and 47 percent of Japanese today were consumers of at least one nutraseutical product.

The word nutraseutical which is a combination of the terms "nutrition" and "pharmaceutical" denotes a food or food component that is beneficial for human health or the prevention or treatment of various diseases.

On the same occasion, Dr.Abdul Rohman, said nutraseutical products contain isolated nutrients, food supplements, dietary food through specific engineering, herbal products and some processed consumer products such as cereals, soup and beverage products.

At the molecular level, researchers and health practitioners are still trying to integrate and analyze information about the nutraseutical product utilization clinical data, both in modern and alternative medicine therapies practice.

In the US, nutraseutical product sales turnover is estimated at 86 billion dollars a year (about Rp731 trillion), while in Europe and Japan valued at 6 billion U.S. dollars (about Rp27 trillion).

"These data clearly proved nutraseutical is a product with a very promising developing market," said Abdul.

In a one-day seminar themed "Nutraseutical, Benefits, Security and Development" will also invited Dr. Sumantri M.Sc., Apt. from the University`s Pharmacy Faculty who presenting his paper "Prospects and Use of Honey as Nutraseutical".

Another speaker Prof. Dr. dr. Sugeng Yuwono from UGM Medical Faculty who will also presenting his paper "Nutraseutical Use Aspects in Medical Field" along with guest speakers, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Amin Ismail from the Medicine Faculty of the University Putra Malaysia with his presentation "Nutraseutical: Source, Potential Health and Security".

Irianti said that participants who are expected to attend the seminar might varied from the pharmaceutical industry, processed food products and supplements, businessmen, academics, students and the general society.