Health claims for food products advertised on Korean television and their regulation: a content analysis

This article reviews the landmark studies of advertising claims and analyzes the health claims for food products advertised on Korean TV. The present study examined 1,479 food commercials aired on three major television networks from 2005 to 2007. The commercials containing health claims accounted for 29.5% of the total. The health claims ranged from the nutrient content to the use of ambiguous expressions such as "healthy." Among the 5 types of health claims considered, specific nutrient claims ranked first (11.1%), followed by general health claims (9.4%). The regulatory policies of Korea concerning such advertising claims were compared with those of the United States. The results of this study are expected to have important implications for Korean policymakers who need better ways to regulate health claims for food products.