Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2022 Sep;11(3):431-436.
doi: 10.1007/s13668-022-00422-3. Epub 2022 May 24.

Nutrition and Health Claims: Consumer Use and Evolving Regulation

Elizabeth P Neale  1   2 , Linda C Tapsell  3   4
Affiliations
Review

Nutrition and Health Claims: Consumer Use and Evolving Regulation

Elizabeth P Neale et al. Curr Nutr Rep. 2022 Sep.

Abstract

Purpose of review: The value of nutrition and health claims (N&HC) depends on how consumers use them and the regulatory framework that enables them. This paper aims to explore the impact of claims on consumer behaviour and identify evolving regulatory challenges, using the Australian experience as a reference point.

Recent findings: N&HC can influence consumer food purchasing and consumption, but how consumers interpret and act on specific claims is less well understood, and regulatory frameworks are evolving. In the last 10 years, changes to the Australian regulatory framework have exposed greater opportunities for promoting foods, albeit with challenges regarding self-substantiation of claims. N&HC can play a significant role in driving consumer choices towards a healthier food supply. The Australian experience demonstrates how N&HC can continue to evolve, reflecting developments in methodologies and a fundamental appreciation of the relationship between food and health.

Keywords: Australia; Food labelling; Food regulation; Health claims; Nutrition content claims.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Elizabeth P Neale has previously prepared dossiers to examine food-health relationships to inform the substantiation of general level health claims for Horticulture Australia Limited and Nuts for Life and Australian Health and Nutrition Association Limited, Linda C Tapsell is a member of the FSANZ Consumer and Public Health Dialogue and has previously prepared dossiers to examine food-health relationships to inform the substantiation of general level health claims for Horticulture Australia Limited and Nuts for Life.

References

    1. Tapsell LC, Neale EP, Satija A, Hu FB. Foods, nutrients, and dietary patterns: interconnections and implications for dietary guidelines. Adv Nutr. 2016;7(3):445–454. doi: 10.3945/an.115.011718. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Mozaffarian D, Rosenberg I, Uauy R. History of modern nutrition science—implications for current research, dietary guidelines, and food policy. BMJ. 2018;361:k2392. doi: 10.1136/bmj.k2392. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. United States Food and Drug Administration. Label Claims for Conventional Foods and Dietary Supplements. 2018. https://www.fda.gov/food/food-labeling-nutrition/label-claims-convention.... Accessed 23 Jan 2022.
    1. Health Canada. Health Claims. 2017. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/food-labe.... Accessed 23 Jan 2022.
    1. European Food Safety Authority. Health Claims. https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/topics/topic/health-claims. Accessed 23 Jan 2022.

Publication types