diff --git a/dataformat/html/classes/writer.php b/dataformat/html/classes/writer.php
index a7b60d4ea0e35..49ed857d0fe0f 100644
--- a/dataformat/html/classes/writer.php
+++ b/dataformat/html/classes/writer.php
@@ -92,6 +92,15 @@ public function start_sheet($columns) {
         echo \html_writer::end_tag('tr');
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Method to define whether the dataformat supports export of HTML
+     *
+     * @return bool
+     */
+    public function supports_html(): bool {
+        return true;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Write a single record
      *
@@ -99,6 +108,8 @@ public function start_sheet($columns) {
      * @param int $rownum
      */
     public function write_record($record, $rownum) {
+        $record = $this->format_record($record);
+
         echo \html_writer::start_tag('tr');
         foreach ($record as $cell) {
             echo \html_writer::tag('td', $cell);
diff --git a/dataformat/json/classes/writer.php b/dataformat/json/classes/writer.php
index 599f3fee80907..effd83ecaa9fc 100644
--- a/dataformat/json/classes/writer.php
+++ b/dataformat/json/classes/writer.php
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ public function write_record($record, $rownum) {
             echo ",";
         }
 
-        echo json_encode($record, JSON_UNESCAPED_UNICODE | JSON_PRETTY_PRINT);
+        echo json_encode($this->format_record($record), JSON_UNESCAPED_UNICODE | JSON_PRETTY_PRINT);
 
         $this->sheetdatadded = true;
     }
diff --git a/dataformat/pdf/classes/writer.php b/dataformat/pdf/classes/writer.php
index 1fce4399d16b0..9768ffd0c4ac5 100644
--- a/dataformat/pdf/classes/writer.php
+++ b/dataformat/pdf/classes/writer.php
@@ -93,14 +93,25 @@ public function start_sheet($columns) {
         $this->print_heading();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Method to define whether the dataformat supports export of HTML
+     *
+     * @return bool
+     */
+    public function supports_html(): bool {
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Write a single record
+     *
+     * @param array $record
+     * @param int $rownum
+     */
     public function write_record($record, $rownum) {
         $rowheight = 0;
 
-        // If $record is an object convert it to an array.
-        if (is_object($record)) {
-            $record = (array)$record;
-        }
-
+        $record = $this->format_record($record);
         foreach ($record as $cell) {
             $rowheight = max($rowheight, $this->pdf->getStringHeight($this->colwidth, $cell, false, true, '', 1));
         }
@@ -123,7 +134,7 @@ public function write_record($record, $rownum) {
             // Determine whether we're at the last element of the record.
             $nextposition = ($lastkey === $key) ? 1 : 0;
             // Write the element.
-            $this->pdf->Multicell($this->colwidth, $rowheight, $cell, 1, 'L', false, $nextposition);
+            $this->pdf->writeHTMLCell($this->colwidth, $rowheight, '', '', $cell, 1, $nextposition, false, true, 'L');
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/lib/classes/dataformat/base.php b/lib/classes/dataformat/base.php
index a0dc3686fa67e..9fb443b320061 100644
--- a/lib/classes/dataformat/base.php
+++ b/lib/classes/dataformat/base.php
@@ -145,6 +145,27 @@ public function start_sheet($columns) {
         // Override me if needed.
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Method to define whether the dataformat supports export of HTML
+     *
+     * @return bool
+     */
+    public function supports_html(): bool {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Apply formatting to the cells of a given record
+     *
+     * @param array|\stdClass $record
+     * @return array
+     */
+    protected function format_record($record): array {
+        $record = (array)$record;
+
+        return $record;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Write a single record
      *
diff --git a/lib/classes/dataformat/spout_base.php b/lib/classes/dataformat/spout_base.php
index 02a827f60f911..4c582707ec301 100644
--- a/lib/classes/dataformat/spout_base.php
+++ b/lib/classes/dataformat/spout_base.php
@@ -116,11 +116,11 @@ public function start_sheet($columns) {
     /**
      * Write a single record
      *
-     * @param object $record
+     * @param array $record
      * @param int $rownum
      */
     public function write_record($record, $rownum) {
-        $row = \Box\Spout\Writer\Common\Creator\WriterEntityFactory::createRowFromArray((array)$record);
+        $row = \Box\Spout\Writer\Common\Creator\WriterEntityFactory::createRowFromArray($this->format_record($record));
         $this->writer->addRow($row);
     }
 
diff --git a/lib/tablelib.php b/lib/tablelib.php
index 55a83c2c71913..ff6a1ac018ab3 100644
--- a/lib/tablelib.php
+++ b/lib/tablelib.php
@@ -2012,7 +2012,7 @@ function format_text($text, $format=FORMAT_MOODLE, $options=NULL, $courseid=NULL
  */
 class table_dataformat_export_format extends table_default_export_format_parent {
 
-    /** @var $dataformat */
+    /** @var \core\dataformat\base $dataformat */
     protected $dataformat;
 
     /** @var $rownum */
@@ -2047,6 +2047,15 @@ public function __construct(&$table, $dataformat) {
         \core\session\manager::write_close();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Whether the current dataformat supports export of HTML
+     *
+     * @return bool
+     */
+    public function supports_html(): bool {
+        return $this->dataformat->supports_html();
+    }
+
     /**
      * Start document
      *