IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/ejlwec/v43y2017i1d10.1007_s10657-013-9386-z.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Products with nutrition and health claims in the Western Balkans: labelling behaviour, regulation and policy implications

Author

Listed:
  • Žaklina Stojanović

    (University of Belgrade)

  • Radmila Dragutinović-Mitrović

    (University of Belgrade)

  • Martine Zaouche-Laniau

    (GEM Etudes et stratégies pour le secteur agroalimentaire)

Abstract

This paper analyses food industry labelling behaviour in regulated and unregulated markets of products with nutrition and health claims (N&H claims) in the Western Balkans. The aim is to find out whether the intervention of the lawmakers in the form of labelling regulation improves transparency of labelling behaviour and facilitates a more informed consumer choice. The analysis is based on a shop survey of 475 products with N&H claims, conducted in six Western Balkan countries (WBC). Statistical inference is derived from the results of the Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis non-parametric tests as well as the Dunn post-test for all pairwise comparisons as a form of simultaneous nonparametric inference. Differences among the countries constituting the region are significant. In comparison with regulated markets in the region, unregulated WBC markets are characterized by a higher level of “spurious” statements dominated by regional/domestic producers not obliged to use scientifically-approved claims in their corporate practices. In these conditions, differences in labelling behaviour are expected as well, which is only partly confirmed by our testing results.

Suggested Citation

  • Žaklina Stojanović & Radmila Dragutinović-Mitrović & Martine Zaouche-Laniau, 2017. "Products with nutrition and health claims in the Western Balkans: labelling behaviour, regulation and policy implications," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 43(1), pages 107-123, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:ejlwec:v:43:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1007_s10657-013-9386-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s10657-013-9386-z
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10657-013-9386-z
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10657-013-9386-z?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Farrell, Jennifer & Ries, Nola M. & Kachan, Natasha & Boon, Heather, 2009. "Foods and natural health products: Gaps and ambiguities in the Canadian regulatory regime," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 388-392, August.
    2. John Crespi & Stéphan Marette, 2003. "“Does Contain” vs. “Does Not Contain”: Does it Matter which GMO Label is Used?," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 327-344, November.
    3. Amandine Garde, 2008. "Food Advertising and Obesity Prevention: What Role for the European Union?," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 31(1), pages 25-44, March.
    4. Jane Dixon, 2009. "From the imperial to the empty calorie: how nutrition relations underpin food regime transitions," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 26(4), pages 321-333, December.
    5. Franziska Rischkowsky & Thomas Döring, 2008. "Consumer Policy in a Market Economy Considerations from the Perspective of the Economics of Information, the New Institutional Economics as well as Behavioural Economics," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 31(3), pages 285-313, September.
    6. Pravst, Igor, 2011. "Risking public health by approving some health claims? - The case of phosphorus," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 725-727, October.
    7. Pravst, Igor, 2011. "Risking public health by approving some health claims? – The case of phosphorus," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 726-728.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Koji Domon & Alessandro Melcarne & Giovanni B. Ramello, 2022. "Fake & original: the case of Japanese food in Southeast Asian countries," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 54(2), pages 327-347, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Gregor Jereb & Borut Poljšak & Ivan Eržen, 2017. "Contribution of Drinking Water Softeners to Daily Phosphate Intake in Slovenia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-10, October.
    2. H. Eggert & M. Greaker, 2011. "Trade, GMOs and Environmental Risk: Are Current Policies Likely to Improve Welfare?," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 48(4), pages 587-608, April.
    3. Gómez, Miguel I. & Ricketts, Katie D., 2013. "Food value chain transformations in developing countries: Selected hypotheses on nutritional implications," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 139-150.
    4. Hattori, Keisuke & Higashida, Keisaku, 2014. "Misleading advertising and minimum quality standards," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 1-14.
    5. Koji Domon & Alessandro Melcarne & Giovanni B. Ramello, 2022. "Fake & original: the case of Japanese food in Southeast Asian countries," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 54(2), pages 327-347, October.
    6. Castellari, Elena & Soregaroli, Claudio & Venus, Thomas J. & Wesseler, Justus, 2018. "Food processor and retailer non-GMO standards in the US and EU and the driving role of regulations," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 26-37.
    7. Pavleen Kaur, 2011. "Foods Promotion to Children: Understanding the Need of Responsibility in Marketing to Children," Information Management and Business Review, AMH International, vol. 2(4), pages 133-137.
    8. Laura M. Pereira & Scott Drimie & Kristi Maciejewski & Patrick Bon Tonissen & Reinette (Oonsie) Biggs, 2020. "Food System Transformation: Integrating a Political–Economy and Social–Ecological Approach to Regime Shifts," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-20, February.
    9. Amy A. Quark & Rachel Lienesch, 2017. "Scientific boundary work and food regime transitions: the double movement and the science of food safety regulation," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 34(3), pages 645-661, September.
    10. Emily Reisman, 2020. "Superfood as spatial fix: the ascent of the almond," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 37(2), pages 337-351, June.
    11. Ramo Barrena & Mercedes Sánchez, 2011. "Abstraction and product categories as explanatory variables for food consumption," Post-Print hal-00712382, HAL.
    12. Ashkan Pakseresht & Brandon R McFadden & Carl Johan Lagerkvist, 2017. "Consumer acceptance of food biotechnology based on policy context and upstream acceptance: evidence from an artefactual field experiment," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 44(5), pages 757-780.
    13. Michael Faure & Hanneke Luth, 2011. "Behavioural Economics in Unfair Contract Terms," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 34(3), pages 337-358, September.
    14. Dolores Garrido & Ana Espínola‐Arredondo & Felix Munoz‐Garcia, 2020. "Can mandatory certification promote greenwashing? A signaling approach," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 22(6), pages 1801-1851, December.
    15. McFadden, Brandon R. & Malone, Trey, 2018. "How will mandatory labeling of genetically modified food nudge consumer decision-making?," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 186-194.
    16. Anthony Fardet & David Thivel & Laurent Gerbaud & Edmond Rock, 2021. "A Sustainable and Global Health Perspective of the Dietary Pattern of French Population during the 1998–2015 Period from INCA Surveys," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-13, July.
    17. Yann Verhellen & Caroline Oates & Patrick Pelsmacker & Nathalie Dens, 2014. "Children’s Responses to Traditional Versus Hybrid Advertising Formats: The Moderating Role of Persuasion Knowledge," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 37(2), pages 235-255, June.
    18. GianCarlo Moschini & Harvey E. Lapan, 2005. "Labeling Regulations and Segregation of First- and Second-Generation Genetically Modified Products: Innovation Incentives and Welfare Effects," Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) Publications 05-wp391, Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) at Iowa State University.
    19. Sabine Frerichs, 2011. "False Promises? A Sociological Critique of the Behavioural Turn in Law and Economics," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 34(3), pages 289-314, September.
    20. Elena Rosculete & Elena Bonciu & Catalin Aurelian Rosculete & Elena Teleanu, 2018. "Detection and Quantification of Genetically Modified Soybean in Some Food and Feed Products. A Case Study on Products Available on Romanian Market," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-13, April.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Food industry; Nutrition and health claims; Regulation; Food labelling; Non-parametric tests;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • K32 - Law and Economics - - Other Substantive Areas of Law - - - Energy, Environmental, Health, and Safety Law
    • Q13 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Markets and Marketing; Cooperatives; Agribusiness
    • C14 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Semiparametric and Nonparametric Methods: General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:ejlwec:v:43:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1007_s10657-013-9386-z. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.