Authorised Health Claims May Not Help Consumers to Choose a Healthy Diet

Hunty, Anne de la; Ashwell, Margaret; Arens, Ursula; Gibson, Sigrid; Sadler, Michèle

doi:10.1159/000356127

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 6 publications

(3 reference statements)

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“…Although the specific conditions of use for some authorised claims may aid in ensuring that clearly unhealthy products cannot bear such claims, the absence of a formalised nutrient profiling approach associated with the legislation may make it more difficult for consumers to decide whether products with specific ingredients that may offer a health benefit are a good addition to their diet overall (99) . As described above, several studies have shown consumers to be more positive towards a product when a nutrition or health claim is present, although this appears stronger for disease risk reduction claims and claims that are shorter in length (100) .…”

Section: Challenge: Understanding the Implications Of The 'Health Hal...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Challenge: understanding the implications of the 'health halo effect' and other misperceptions around products bearing health claims Although the specific conditions of use for some authorised claims may aid in ensuring that clearly unhealthy products cannot bear such claims, the absence of a formalised nutrient profiling approach associated with the legislation may make it more difficult for consumers to decide whether products with specific ingredients that may offer a health benefit are a good addition to their diet overall (99) .…”

Section: Evidence From Scientific Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Nature of the evidence base and strengths, challenges and recommendations in the area of nutrition and health claims: a position paper from the Academy of Nutrition Sciences

Ashwell¹,

Hickson

Stanner

et al. 2022

Br J Nutr

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The regulation of health claims for foods by the Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation is intended, primarily, to protect consumers from unscrupulous claims by ensuring claims are accurate and substantiated with high quality scientific evidence. In this Position Paper, the Academy of Nutrition Sciences uniquely recognises the strengths of the transparent, rigorous scientific assessment by independent scientists of the evidence underpinning claims in Europe, an approach now independently adopted in UK. Further strengths are the separation of risk assessment from risk management, and the extensive guidance for those submitting claims. Nevertheless, four main challenges in assessing the scientific evidence and context remain: (i) defining a healthy population, (ii) undertaking efficacy trials for foods, (iii) developing clearly defined biomarkers for some trial outcomes, and (iv) ensuring the composition of a food bearing a health claim is consistent with generally accepted nutrition principles. Although the Regulation aims to protect the consumer from harm, we identify some challenges from consumer research: (i) making the wording of some health claims more easily understood and (ii) understanding the implications of the misperceptions around products bearing nutrition or health claims. Recommendations are made to overcome these challenges. Further, the Academy recommends that a dialogue is developed with the relevant national bodies about Article 12(c) in the Regulation. This should further clarify the GB Guidance to avoid the current non-level playing field between health professionals and untrained ‘influencers’ who are not covered by this Article about the communication of authorised claims within commercial communications.

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Section: Challenge: Understanding the Implications Of The 'Health Hal...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Evidence From Scientific Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nature of the evidence base and strengths, challenges and recommendations in the area of nutrition and health claims: a position paper from the Academy of Nutrition Sciences

Ashwell¹,

Hickson

Stanner

et al. 2022

Br J Nutr

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Against this backdrop, more research efforts are needed to shed light on the topic. Most studies conducted so far in the European context considered only a limited set of authorized health claims and product categories (van buul and Brouns, 2015), thus leaving several questions about how well the NHCR actually assists consumers in making healthier diet choices unsolved (de la Hunty et al, 2014). One of these issues concerns the effectiveness of the four authorized health claims for EVOO.…”

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Communicating the health value of extra-virgin olive oil: an investigation of consumers' responses to health claims

Pichierri

Peluso

Pino

et al. 2020

BFJ

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PurposeThis research investigates the effectiveness of the four health claims that the European Union (EU) authorized for extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) in terms of perceived text clarity, text interestingness, message credibility and information diagnosticity, along with the claims' effect on product attractiveness and consumers' purchase intention.Design/methodology/approachAn experimental study with 185 participants investigated consumer response to the four claims. A one-way MANOVA analyzed differences in the aforementioned variables, while a sequential mediation model assessed the relationship among perceived text clarity of the EVOO health claims, information diagnosticity, product attractiveness and purchase intention.FindingsThe four EU-authorized health claims differ in terms of perceived text clarity, message credibility, information diagnosticity and product attractiveness. Specifically, the health claim on EVOO polyphenols scored lower than the other three health claims on the aforementioned dependent variables. Importantly, clearer health claims are perceived as more useful and may increase product attractiveness and consumers' purchase intention.Originality/valueThe research sheds light on the effectiveness of EVOO health claims. Since the use of such health claims is not a common practice in the EVOO market, a deeper understanding of consumers' perception and attitude toward them could inspire better guidelines and suggestions for claim usage and improvement.

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Regulatory developments with European health claims

Sadler

2015

Foods, Nutrients and Food Ingredients With Authorised EU Health Claims: Volume 2

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Authorised Health Claims May Not Help Consumers to Choose a Healthy Diet

Cited by 4 publications

References 6 publications

Nature of the evidence base and strengths, challenges and recommendations in the area of nutrition and health claims: a position paper from the Academy of Nutrition Sciences

Nature of the evidence base and strengths, challenges and recommendations in the area of nutrition and health claims: a position paper from the Academy of Nutrition Sciences

Communicating the health value of extra-virgin olive oil: an investigation of consumers' responses to health claims

Regulatory developments with European health claims

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