Country Differences in the History of Use of Health Claims and Symbols
Sophie Hieke *
European Food Information Council, Sablon Tower, Rue Joseph Stevens 7, 1000 Brussels, Belgium.
Nera Kuljanic
European Food Information Council, Sablon Tower, Rue Joseph Stevens 7, 1000 Brussels, Belgium.
Laura Fernandez
European Food Information Council, Sablon Tower, Rue Joseph Stevens 7, 1000 Brussels, Belgium.
Liisa Lähteenmäki
MAPP Centre, Aarhus University, Bartholins Allé 10, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
Violeta Stancu
MAPP Centre, Aarhus University, Bartholins Allé 10, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
Monique M. Raats
Food, Consumer Behaviour and Health Research Centre, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU27XH, United Kingdom.
Bernadette Egan
Food, Consumer Behaviour and Health Research Centre, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU27XH, United Kingdom.
Kerry Brown
Food, Consumer Behaviour and Health Research Centre, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU27XH, United Kingdom.
Hans Van Trijp
Marketing and Consumer Behaviour Group, Wageningen University, Hollandseweg 1, 6706 KN Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Ellen Van Kleef
Marketing and Consumer Behaviour Group, Wageningen University, Hollandseweg 1, 6706 KN Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Erica Van Herpen
Marketing and Consumer Behaviour Group, Wageningen University, Hollandseweg 1, 6706 KN Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Andrea Gröppel-Klein
University Saarland, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany.
Stephanie Leick
University Saarland, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany.
Katja Pfeifer
University Saarland, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany.
Wim Verbeke
Department of Agricultural Economics, Ghent University, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
Christine Hoefkens
Department of Agricultural Economics, Ghent University, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
Sinne Smed
University of Copenhagen, Nørregade 10, 1165 København, Denmark.
Léon Jansen
Schuttelaar and Partners, Zeestraat 84, 2518 AD, Den Haag, The Netherlands.
Anita Laser-Reuterswärd
This Work was Carried Out when Anita Was Still Working at the Swedish National Food Agency, Livsmedelsverket, Box 622, SE-751 26 Uppsala, Sweden.
Živa Korošec
Nutrition Institute, Tržaška Cesta 40, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Igor Pravst
Nutrition Institute, Tržaška Cesta 40, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia and University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical University, Groblje 3, 1230 Domžale, Slovenia.
Anita Kušar
Nutrition Institute, Tržaška Cesta 40, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia and University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical University, Groblje 3, 1230 Domžale, Slovenia.
Marija Klopčič
University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical University, Groblje 3, 1230 Domžale, Slovenia.
Jure Pohar
University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical University, Groblje 3, 1230 Domžale, Slovenia.
Azucena Gracia
Agrifood Research and Technology Centre of Aragon, Avda. Montañana 930, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain.
Tiziana de Magistris
Agrifood Research and Technology Centre of Aragon, Avda. Montañana 930, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain.
Klaus G. Grunert
MAPP Centre, Aarhus University, Bartholins Allé 10, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Health-related claims and symbols are intended as aids to help consumers make informed and healthier food choices but they can also stimulate the food industry to develop food that goes hand in hand with a healthier lifestyle. In order to better understand the role that health claims and symbols currently have and in the future potentially can have, the objective of the CLYMBOL project (“Role of health-related claims and symbols in consumer behaviour”, Grant no 311963) is to investigate consumers’ understanding of health claims and symbols, and how they affect purchasing and consumption [1].
As part of this endeavour, it is important to understand the history of use of claims and symbols in Europe. What have consumers been exposed to and how were these health-related messages used and discussed among the public? In this study, we interviewed key stakeholders across Europe about how health claims have been regulated in their country, how health symbols have been and currently are being treated, what form of monitoring there is or should be and how both health claims and symbols have been debated in the public opinion. In 26 European Union (EU) Member States, opinions from 53 key informants from up to three different stakeholder groups were gathered: national food authorities, representatives of the food industry, and consumer organisations.
While 14 Member States reported (at least partial) regulation of the use of health claims and/or symbols before the introduction of the EU Regulation (EC 1924/2006) on nutrition and health claims made on foods [2], mandatory reporting of use had only been in place in three EU Member States. A number of voluntary codes of practice for health claims and/or symbols (i.e. pre-approval or justification when challenged) was said to be in use in 15 Member States. There are only a few national databases on health claims and symbols available, the data for which is often incomplete. Only eight Member States reported having some form of database from which information about health claims and symbols could be extracted. The stakeholders interviewed expressed a strong interest in measuring the impact of health claims and symbols, particularly research into the effects on consumer behaviour (e.g. awareness and understanding, attitudes towards products carrying claims and symbols and purchase/consumption effects), public health (health outcomes and changes in national health status due to the introduction of claims and symbols on food products) and economic aspects including sales, return on investment and reputation measurements. Public debates were said to have evolved around the topics of consumer understanding of claims, acceptance as well as trust in the information presented but also the effects on vulnerable groups such as children and elderly consumers. Another field of debate was said to have been the question of the effectiveness of health claims and symbols. Lastly, stakeholders reported that public debates focussed mainly on the legislative aspects, i.e. how to apply the EU Regulation (No 1924/2006) with regards to wording issues, the evaluation process at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the status of various claims and the nutrient profile modelling to be introduced in Europe.
Keywords: Health claims, health symbols, history of use, Europe