The EU-funded project kicks off a four-year odyssey into the mostly unknown territory of consumer understanding of health claims this week today – with the goal of developing long term strategies and guidelines of how to use EU approved health claims on food products.
The CLYMBOL (‘Role of health-related claims and symbols in consumer behaviour’) project aims to shed new light on how consumers interpret health information on food labels, and how this affects their purchasing and consumption behaviour.
Speaking with this publication Professor Dr Klaus Grunert, scientific advisor to the project, explained that there is currently a lack of research focus on the way in which health claims and health symbols affect consumers.
“Health claims and symbols are aids to help consumers identify foods that are healthier options, but we know little on how they impact consumer behaviour,” said Grunert. “We have had all this debate about health claims, but is has all been about the scientific substantiation of the health effects.”
“In the legislation – of course – it also says that it has to be understandable by consumers – and nobody has really dealt with what that means or how to check that,” he said.
Grunert explained that the project aims to achieve a better understanding of how consumers are affected by health claims and symbols in their context on food packages, in order to formulate guidelines “partly for public policy but also for the food industry so that they can formulate health claims and symbols in such a way that they are to the benefit of both consumers and the industry.”
Understanding
The research team will create a set of methodologies to measure the role of health claims and symbols in consumer behaviour, drawing on the latest developments in cognitive and behavioural science.
“We will start by looking at the history of health claims in different countries in the EU, and at different types of health claims and symbols,” said Grunert, who explained that the team will then use that information to develop methodologies “for finding out how to measure the three main areas that we want to look at, namely: consumer understanding, its effect on purchases, and the effect on consumption and food intake.”
“We will look at methodologies and test them against each other,” Grunert. “Not only for our own benefit but also as something we can hand over to stakeholders in the sector. Because we believe that the industry on one hand and the regulatory authorities on the other hand do need some methods that they can use to check the requirements.”
The advisor said the project aims to derive in depth knowledge, “not least about the interaction about those three.”
“Because I think that is another thing that has been very neglected in the debate in health claims.”
“The health claim on a product is always in a context, and that involves all the other information on a product, in terms of other information on the labels, the branding, the pictures used,” said Grunert. “It’s all of these things together that have an effect on the consumer.”
“We need to look not just at health claims and health symbols in isolation, but look at how these claims and symbols and other context on the package affect understanding purchasing and consumption.”
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to a report by the General Statistics Office, the estimated pangasius output for January 2025 reached 102.5 thousand tons, representing a 6.0% increase compared to the corresponding period of the preceding year. This surge is attributed to the rise in pangasius material prices within the Mekong Delta, which has incentivized aquaculture farmers to expand their stocking activities. Concurrently, this price increase has facilitated processing enterprises to intensify procurement efforts to meet export demands during the early part of the year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Between 2015 and 2024, Vietnamese pangasius exporting enterprises have undergone notable transformations in rankings and experienced fluctuations in developmental strategies, competitive intensity, and business efficacy. This dynamic is clearly illustrated through shifts in export turnover and the proportional contribution to the national pangasius export volume among the Top 5 enterprises.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The outlook for Vietnam’s seafood exports remains positive, with a strong focus on maintaining growth in key markets like China and the U.S., while diversifying into new regions. As global trade policies continue to evolve, adaptability and strategic planning will be key to navigating the challenges ahead.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Thanks to improved pangasius prices and higher production, Vĩnh Hoàn's after-tax profit in Q4 2024 reached VND 440 billion, a 4.8-fold increase compared to the same period last year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) According to data from Vietnam’s Customs, in Q4 2024, Vietnam’s pangasius exports to China & Hong Kong reached USD 163 million, a 17% increase compared to the same period in 2023, with consistent growth across all months. The total value of pangasius exports to China & Hong Kong for 2024 reached USD 581 million, a 1% increase over the previous year.
Vietnam’s seafood exports are projected to maintain strong growth this year, potentially reaching 11 billion USD.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the final quarter of 2024, Vietnam’s surimi and fish cake exports showed consistent growth over the last three months. For the entire year 2024, exports of these products reached USD 298 million, down 2% compared to 2023. However, the final quarter saw more promising signs for the surimi and fish cake export sector, with some markets experiencing notable growth, such as Thailand, China, and Taiwan. Particularly, exports to Taiwan, which had seen continuous declines in the previous two quarters, surged by 301% in this quarter.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Another year of pride for Vietnam's pangasius exports has concluded, reaching over USD 2 billion and contributing 20% to Vietnam's total seafood export turnover.
Vietnam maintained its position as the fifth-largest seafood exporter to Singapore for 12 consecutive months, surpassing Japan for the first time in 2024, amid the intensifying competition in this market.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Despite facing numerous challenges in the second half of the year, Vietnam's canned tuna exports concluded 2024 with a 17% increase compared to 2023, reaching USD 299 million. To maintain this growth momentum in 2025, the canned tuna production and export sector requires coordinated efforts from all stakeholders.
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