Health-related claims on food labels in Australia: understanding environmental health officers’ roles and implications for policy

Condon-Paoloni, Deanne; Yeatman, Heather; Grigonis-Deane, Elizabeth M.

doi:10.1017/s1368980013003078

Cited by 10 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…In Australia and New Zealand, the use of claims is voluntary, and for most claims, the wording is not prescribed, which may contribute to the perception that nutrition and health claims are unregulated (Riley et al, 2016). Enforcement of the Code and compliance monitoring of on-pack claims is currently the role of the state and territory authorities, however previous research has found that the jurisdictions neither have the capability or capacity to monitor compliance with the Code (Condon-Paoloni et al, 2015). Potential solutions to address this issue may be for FSANZ to adopt a more regulatory role in relation to the Code to alleviate the burden on the jurisdictions and improve compliance with the Code or for FSANZ to assist food manufacturers in the interpretation of Standard 1.2.7 so that claims are more compliant with the code before entering the market, as suggested by Wellard-Cole et al (2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptions, use and perceived value of nutrition and health claims among Australian consumers: a cross-sectional survey

Hughes

McMahon

Houston

et al. 2023

BFJ

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PurposeNutrition and health claims are used widely on food labels and are known to influence food choice, however research has found that consumer perceptions of such claims are mixed. The study aimed to explore the perceptions, use and perceived value of nutrition and health claims among consumers and investigate barriers for the use of claims in guiding food choice.Design/methodology/approachAn online cross-sectional survey conducted in May-July 2019 collected information on participant demographics, reported use and perceptions of nutrition and health claims, and barriers to the use of claims for 150 Australian consumers.FindingsWhile the majority (73.5%) of respondents were aware of nutrition and health claims on food labels and were largely confident in interpreting claims, 29% of respondents “often” or “always” used claims to guide food choices. More than one-quarter (27.3%) of respondents found nutrition and health claims “not very useful” or “not at all useful” for guiding food choice, while only 12.7% perceived claims as “very trustworthy” or “extremely trustworthy”. The ingredients list and nutrition information panel were the preferred sources of on-pack nutrition information for guiding food choice.Originality/valueFindings suggest there remains a role for nutrition and health claims to help consumers make healthier dietary decisions however, it appears that trust in claims and regulations must firstly be addressed. There is a need to develop strategies to increase the perceived trustworthiness of these claims, including clearer promotion of the current regulatory requirements for making nutrition and health claims.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptions, use and perceived value of nutrition and health claims among Australian consumers: a cross-sectional survey

Hughes

McMahon

Houston

et al. 2023

BFJ

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“…These adequate resources are required through all stages of research activity; therefore, MSEs poorly conduct these resources-intensive activities. Interconnection policies like stakeholders, government, financial institutions, and universities can improve the capacity of the MSE's production in food health-related claims with the minimum production cost (Purwaningsih and Hardiyati 2021;Condon-Paoloni et al 2015).…”

Section: Compliance Level Of the Prohibited Statement On The Labelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Compliance Level to Food Labelling Regulation for Micro and Small-sized Enterprises Products: A Descriptive Study in Wonosobo District, Indonesia

2023

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Food labelling is an effective tool in protecting consumer health with respect to safety and nutrition. Complying with labelling regulations is essential in preventing product recalls. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the extent of adherence to food labelling regulations by micro and small-sized enterprises (MSEs) in Wonosobo District, in accordance to the existing guidelines. Primary data were collected through a market survey approach, with analysis conducted through purposive sampling in shops, stalls, home industries, markets, and supermarkets. Content analysis was employed to evaluate four categories of processed food: flour/starch-based products, water-based flavored drinks, processed fruit products, and processed grain, nut, and tuber products, totaling 92 products. The compliance level with labelling regulations was evaluated based on the principal display panel, labelling formats, general labelling requirements, and prohibited statements on the label. The results revealed that the compliance level of labelling flour/starch-based products was good, with an average of 75%. In contrast, the average compliance level for water-based flavored drink products was 58%, while the average compliance levels for processed fruit products and processed grain, nut, and tuber products were 54 and 59%, respectively, indicating a lower level of compliance compared to flour/starch-based products.

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“…The current system relies on state and local government enforcement agencies being adequately resourced to assess the industry-provided dossiers of evidence to decide whether there is sufficient, good-quality evidence for the food company to make the claim. However, enforcement agencies may not have the time to enforce all food labelling issues, or the necessary skills to assess the evidence, or they may prioritise other food regulatory issues over health claims ( 24 ) . Therefore, the food industry can potentially make claims based on poor-quality research if no complaints are received.…”

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confidence: 99%

How effective is food industry self-substantiation of food–health relationships underpinning health claims on food labels in Australia?

Wellard‐Cole¹,

Watson²,

Hughes³

et al. 2019

Public Health Nutr.

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ObjectiveThe Food Standards Code regulates health claims on Australian food labels. General-level health claims highlight food–health relationships, e.g. ‘contains calcium for strong bones’. Food companies making claims must notify Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and certify that a systematic literature review (SLR) substantiating the food–health relationship has been conducted. There is no pre- or post-notification assessment of the SLR, potentially enabling the food industry to make claims based on poor-quality research. The present study assessed the rigour of self-substantiation.DesignFood–health relationships notified to FSANZ were monitored monthly between 2013 and 2017. These relationships were assessed by scoping published literature. Where evidence was equivocal/insufficient, the relevant government food regulatory agency was asked to investigate. If not investigated, or the response was unsatisfactory, the project team conducted an independent SLR which was provided to the government agency.SettingAustralia.ParticipantsSelf-substantiated food–health relationships.ResultsThere were sixty-seven relationships notified by thirty-eight food companies. Of these, thirty-three relationships (52 %) from twenty companies were deemed to have sufficient published evidence. Four were excluded as they originated in New Zealand. Three relationships were removed before investigations were initiated. The project initiated twenty-seven food–health relationship investigations. Another six relationships were withdrawn, and three relationships were awaiting government assessment.ConclusionsTo ensure that SLR underpinning food–health relationships are rigorous and reduce regulatory enforcement burden, pre-market approval of food–health relationships should be introduced. This will increase consumer and public health confidence in the regulatory process and prevent potentially misleading general-level health claims on food labels.

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Health-related claims on food labels in Australia: understanding environmental health officers’ roles and implications for policy

Abstract: Objective: Health and related claims on food labels can support consumer education initiatives that encourage purchase of healthier foods. A new food Standard

Cited by 10 publications

References 22 publications

Perceptions, use and perceived value of nutrition and health claims among Australian consumers: a cross-sectional survey

Perceptions, use and perceived value of nutrition and health claims among Australian consumers: a cross-sectional survey

Compliance Level to Food Labelling Regulation for Micro and Small-sized Enterprises Products: A Descriptive Study in Wonosobo District, Indonesia

How effective is food industry self-substantiation of food–health relationships underpinning health claims on food labels in Australia?

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