The Impact of Nutrition and Health Claims on Consumer Perceptions and Portion Size Selection: Results from a Nationally Representative Survey

Nutrition and health claims on foods can help consumers make healthier food choices. However, claims may have a ‘halo’ effect, influencing consumer perceptions of foods and increasing consumption. Evidence for these effects are typically demonstrated in experiments with small samples, limiting generalisability. The current study aimed to overcome this limitation through the use of a nationally representative survey. In a cross-sectional survey of 1039 adults across the island of Ireland, respondents were presented with three different claims (nutrition claim = “Low in fat”; health claim = “With plant sterols. Proven to lower cholesterol”; satiety claim = “Fuller for longer”) on four different foods (cereal, soup, lasagne, and yoghurt). Participants answered questions on perceived healthiness, tastiness, and fillingness of the products with different claims and also selected a portion size they would consume. Claims influenced fillingness perceptions of some of the foods. However, there was little influence of claims on tastiness or healthiness perceptions or the portion size selected. Psychological factors such as consumers’ familiarity with foods carrying claims and belief in the claims were the most consistent predictors of perceptions and portion size selection. Future research should identify additional consumer factors that may moderate the relationships between claims, perceptions, and consumption

Advancing Participation in the Conservation & Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ)

Participation of civil society in the negotiations on marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) remains limited and below the standards adopted under other multilateral environmental negotiations (Morgera et al., 2022), both in terms of participation and access to information. This policy brief underscores that public participation in the future implementation of the BBNJ Agreement is an international human rights issue, particularly with regard to Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) holders and children. Participation is necessary to ensure that the most affected are not excluded from determining the future of our ocean and all the dimensions of human wellbeing that depended on it (Morgera et al., 2022). Public participation should be informed by existing international human rights obligations of the States participating in the BBNJ negotiations as a response to the recommendation by the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment that the BBNJ negotiations should consider human rights (Boyd, 2020).This policy brief also underscores that capacitybuilding under the BBNJ Agreement needs to support public participation in the implementation of the Agreement, as well as knowledge sharing and co-production. The policy brief includes specific textual recommendations to inform the upcoming session of the Intergovernmental Conference from 15th to 26th August 2022. All comments refer to the latest revised draft text of the BBNJ Agreement prepared by the President of the Intergovernmental Conference in July 2022

Guide to alcohol and drug misuse in the workplace 2010.

This document sets out the Irish Civil Service Alcohol and Drug Misuse Policy for employers and employees. Section 1 Health information p.6 Section 2 Advice for employers p.10 Section 3 Advice for employees p.13 Section 4 Employee assistance service p.15 Section 5 Frequently asked questions (FAQs) p.16 Section 6 Department of Finance Circular 08/2009 p.1