Consumer evaluation, use and health relevance of health claims in the European Union

Impact of health claims: what has been achieved and what is the future?

Using health claims on foods in the European Union and the United States for more than two decades did not have a noticeable positive impact on public health and neither on the innovation or sales of such food products. The objective was to assess the reasons for this limited impact using a narrative review approach. Consumers assess the value of health claims on foods case-by-case in a way that can be explored with the opportunity, ability, and motivation framework. Perceived relevance of a health claim seems to be an important motivational factor in consumer responses. Thus, targeted marketing of foods with health claims should be applied specifically to those consumers for which the claimed benefit is relevant. Language for the health claim should be used that is reflective for the scientific substantiation as well as credible and clearly understood by the target consumer. The food should be a credible carrier for the claimed benefit, and not be compromised on taste and other sensory properties. Finally, consumers should be made more aware of what health claims are, and what they are not, in relation to healthy eating. With these adaptations the use and impact of health claims may become more effective.

Consumers' willingness to pay for health claims during the COVID-19 pandemic: A moderated mediation analysis

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a substantial threat to people's lives and raised health concerns. This research explores the mediating role of consumers' attitudes towards health claims in the relationship between consumers' interest in health claims and their willingness to pay (WTP) for health claims in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). Additionally, we examine the moderation effect of COVID-19 risk perception in the relationship between consumers' interest in and attitudes towards health claims. Data were collected through an online survey in three countries: Spain, the UK and Chile. Findings confirm the mediating role of consumers' attitudes towards health claims. Furthermore, the relationship between consumers' interest and their attitudes towards health claims was stronger when COVID-19 risk perception was higher.

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

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.

M I. Warmed-over flavour profiles, microbial changes, shelf-life and check-all-that-apply sensory analysis of cooked minced pork treated with varying levels of Moringa oleifera leaf and root powder

This study investigated warmed-over flavour profiles, microbial changes, shelf-life and sensory characteristics of minced cooked pork treated with Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera) root and leaf powder during refrigerated storage at 4 °C. A total of 8 treatments (control = no antioxidant; 0.5ML = 0.5% M. oleifera leaf; 1ML = 1% M. oleifera leaf; 0.5MR = 0.5 % M. oleifera root; 1MR = 1% M. oleifera root; 0.5MLR = 0.5% M. oleifera leaf and root mixed; 1MLR = 1% M. oleifera leaf and root mixed; BHT = 0.02% butylated hydroxytoluene) were evaluated. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the plant extracts against the test bacteria was determined using the serial dilution in 96 well microtiter plates technique. Warmed-over flavour profiles were determined using the test for carbonyls assay where hexanal was used as a marker for warmed-over flavour. The check-all-that-apply sensory tool was used to characterise minced cooked pork treated with different antioxidants according to warmed-over flavour taste and odour intensities. The results showed that the antibacterial assay of the extracts exhibited a broad-spectrum of activity against the tested bacteria. The leaf extracts demonstrated better activity against both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, with most of the MICs at less than 1 mg/mL, while the root performed better against gram-negative bacteria compared to gram-positive bacteria. There was a significant rapid increase in the warmed-over flavour profiles of the control compared to the M. oleifera and BHT treated pork. The pork samples which had M. oleifera leaf, root, and their combination at inclusion levels of 1% and 0.5% displayed lower warmed-over flavour profiles that fell in the range (1.0–1.46 mg hexanal/100g fat) throughout the storage period. Consumer sensory evaluation revealed that pork samples treated with the highest inclusion level (1%) of the M. oleifera leaf powder received the lowest consumer rating scores for appearance. Based on these results, adding M. oleifera leaf and root powder can decrease warmed-over flavour development and improve the shelf-life of processed pork. Furthermore, the incorporation of M. oleifera root powder can potentially be more acceptable to consumers because of its colour compared to the leaf, which gives the product a green colour that may not be pleasant for some consumers. This suggests that the inclusion of the root powder at 1% may be well accepted for consumption by consumers.

Testing the Impact of Familiarity with Health Benefits Information on Dietary Supplement Choice in Pregnancy: An Online Choice Experiment

To help meet the increased requirements for critical nutrients during and around pregnancy, supplementation with essential nutrients is recommended. This study aims to determine how the previous awareness of nutrient health benefits and/or the provision of this information influences the importance placed on nutrients (folate, iodine, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin D) when choosing between dietary supplement products for pregnancy. Discrete choice experiment data were collected as part of a cross-sectional online survey administered to 857 pregnant women living in Australia. Four segments of women were identified that differ in their preference criteria when choosing among dietary supplement products for pregnancy. When choosing between products, the reinforcement of perceived health benefits (i.e., showing information on health benefits to those already aware of the benefits) was most effective at increasing the importance of folate (in all segments) and iodine (in two segments, 63% of the sample). Neither prior awareness of health benefits alone nor information provided at the point-of-purchase without prior awareness were enough to increase the importance of folate. Our findings suggest a need for simultaneous strategies that (1) provide information on health benefits before purchase and (2) ensure that information on health benefits is available at the point-of-purchase.

Fifteen Years of Regulating Nutrition and Health Claims in Europe: The Past, the Present and the Future

Suggestions that a food contains healthy ingredients or that it can provide beneficial effects upon consumption have been regulated in the EU since 2006. This paper describes the analysis of how this nutrition and health claim regulation has resulted in over 300 authorised claims and how the authorisation requirements and processes have affected the use of claims on foods. Five challenges are identified that negatively affect the current legislation dealing with nutrition and health claims: non-reviewed botanical claims (as well as on hold claims for infants and young children), the lack of nutrient profiles and the focus of claims on single ingredients, consumer understanding, research into health effects of nutrition and finally, enforcement. These challenges are shown to influence the goals of the regulation: protecting consumers from false and misleading claims and stimulating the development of a level playing field in the EU, to foster innovation. Tackling these political and scientific substantiation questions for health claims, together with continuously analysing the understanding and usage of claims by consumers and operators will ensure that the NHCR will stay effective, today and in the future.

Edible Brown Seaweed in Gluten-Free Pasta: Technological and Nutritional Evaluation

Seaweed is a novel source of important nutritional compounds with interesting biological activities that could be processed into added-value products, namely gluten-free foods. In this study, two previously developed products obtained from Laminaria ochroleuca processing (liquid extract and a purée-like mixture) were incorporated in gluten-free (GF) pasta in order to develop functional products especially designed for the celiac population. The raw and cooked pastas were characterized in terms of their cooking quality parameters, nutritional composition, texture and rheological properties, and antioxidant activity. It was found that the developed GF pastas had similar mechanical and texture characteristics to the control. Both supplemented GF pastas presented a significantly (p < 0.05) higher fibre and mineral content than the control pasta.

Do Consumers Care about Nutrition and Health Claims? Some Evidence from Italy

This study investigates Italian consumer knowledge and use of nutrition and health claims (NHCs). Six specific claims are examined on the basis of a web survey carried out on a sample of 504 consumers. Our results show that there is little attention to NHCs and their use is not widespread; objective knowledge of the selected claims is fairly scant, generating misinterpretation and confusion about their real meaning. K-means cluster analysis allowed us to identify three segments of consumers, characterized by different levels in attention and use frequency of NHCs, with a specific profile in terms of motivation and nutritional knowledge. Our results suggest the advisability of policy interventions and communication efforts which target the three segments with a view to achieving greater attention to NHCs. In conclusion, to boost knowledge concerning the actual meaning of the claims and their relation with a healthy diet, especially to reach non-users, information should be provided both simply and clearly, avoiding the use of complex scientific terminology.

Setting Policy Priorities for Front-of-Pack Health Claims and Symbols in the European Union: Expert Consensus Built by Using a Delphi Method

Despite the fact that front-of-pack nutrition labels such as health claims and symbols have received growing attention in consumer behavior research, comprehensive conclusions could not yet be drawn to develop concrete policy actions, owing to the complexity of the subject and a constantly changing market environment. In this study, evidence-based policy recommendations and communication guidelines have been derived from the findings of the EU FP7 project CLYMBOL ("Role of health-related CLaims and sYMBOLs in consumer behavior", Grant Agreement 311963), and have been evaluated and prioritized by European stakeholders using a three-round Delphi method. A moderate level of consensus was achieved and results suggest that policy priority should focus on ways to improve consumer motivation and interest in healthy eating. Consumers' interest in healthy eating could be increased by adopting appropriate communication strategies such as using innovative ways to communicate the importance of healthy eating, which may aim to change the possible negative association between healthiness and tastiness. The highest-rated finding was related to consumers' favorable attitude towards health claims with shorter and less complex messages and health symbols with a visible endorsement. Meanwhile, there was a clear consensus that health claims need to be scientifically substantiated and credible but phrased without using overly complex scientific wordings, in order to be meaningful for consumers. Furthermore, stakeholders from academia and industry believe that consumer awareness about existing health claims should be increased. The identified policy recommendations and communication guidelines stem from recent empirical evidence and provide useful insights that guide future policy development aligning consumer protection issues as well as public health and food marketing communication interests.