The Nutraceutical Research and Education Act (NREA), which was introduced to Congress last year, is expected to be reintroduced in this year's 107th session of Congress. If passed, the competitive dynamics of the functional foods market will change significantly according to a newly published study by Front Line Strategic Management Consulting, Inc. The NREA creates an exclusive category within functional foods in which companies, using clinical research, could promote a direct health benefit claim for marketed food products. In addition, the company would be granted 10 years of exclusive marketing rights to the claim.