diff --git a/lib/DataHarmonizer.js b/lib/DataHarmonizer.js
index e6dede05..a12b1f11 100644
--- a/lib/DataHarmonizer.js
+++ b/lib/DataHarmonizer.js
@@ -1196,11 +1196,7 @@ class DataHarmonizer {
           }
 
           $('#field-description-text').html(
-            `${
-              fields[col].title
-            }<select multiple class="multiselect" rows="15">${renderContent(
-              content
-            )}</select>`
+            `${fields[col].title}<select multiple class="multiselect" rows="15">${content}</select>`
           );
           $('#field-description-modal').modal('show');
           $('#field-description-text .multiselect')
@@ -1213,15 +1209,13 @@ class DataHarmonizer {
                   let indentation = 12 + label.search(/\S/) * 8; // pixels
                   return `<div style="padding-left:${indentation}px" class="option ${
                     value === '' ? 'selectize-dropdown-emptyoptionlabel' : ''
-                  }">${renderContent(escape(label))}</div>`;
+                  }">${escape(label)}</div>`;
                 },
               },
             }) // must be rendered when html is visible
             .on('change', function () {
-              let newValCsv = renderContent(
-                formatMultivaluedValue(
-                  $('#field-description-text .multiselect').val()
-                )
+              let newValCsv = formatMultivaluedValue(
+                $('#field-description-text .multiselect').val()
               );
               self.setDataAtCell(row, col, newValCsv, 'thisChange');
             });