Food label greenwashing often misleads grocery shoppers because of its underlying subtleties. From ‘carbon neutral’ to ‘eco-friendly’ and ‘all natural,’ more groceries are coming with sensational labels that may not mean what you think.
Greenwashing is false claims, knowing or unknowing, that manufacturers make about the environmental friendliness of their products. Sometimes, these claims are strategically poised to distract consumers from other negative product features or manufacturing practices. It is necessary to clarify that greenwashing is not limited to product labels; it can surface in any aspect of marketing campaigns.
Scared of falling victim to greenwashing? Don’t sweat, as this piece will help you read labels objectively. With the guidelines provided here, you can identify and eliminate misleading sustainability claims, making informed buying decisions.
What Is Greenwashing in the Food Industry?
The term ‘greenwashing’ was first coined by Jay Westerveld, a sustainability advocate, in 1986. He used it in a scathing criticism of hotels that encouraged guests to reuse towels, claiming that the practice was good for the environment. Westerveld later discovered that the concerned hotels were only trying to cut laundry expenses.
Hotels can easily get away with prompting guests to reuse towels. However, greenwashing in the food industry takes on a more complex dimension because it concerns edibles.
Misleading food sustainability claims can take on one of many forms, which are:
Lack of Transparency
When food manufacturers fail to provide accurate information about the source of ingredients and production conditions, it may constitute greenwashing. If a product claims to be sustainable, the manufacturer should be willing to provide full disclosure of why it qualifies as such.
Exaggerating Product Benefits
Sometimes, manufacturers make sustainability claims that are way too good to be true. For instance, claiming an infinite ‘recyclability’ of food packaging material may be far-fetched.
Deceptive Imagery
Some food manufacturers are subtle enough not to write ‘natural,’ ‘organic,’ or ‘eco-friendly’ on their labels. They instead use imagery that is likely to trigger such perception in consumers. Imagine buying a soda drink, made predominantly of artificial ingredients, but having a green-themed package or images of nature. Without due diligence, it is easy to assume such a product is made from natural ingredients.
Amplifying Minor Sustainability Efforts
A fruit drink company claims to use recycled plastic bottles. Whenever the question of global or local plastic waste arises, the company reiterates its strict use of recycled plastic. Meanwhile, the acclaimed sustainable plastics may contain only five percent recycled plastic. Such half-truths are obviously greenwashing.
Vague Terminology
When food manufacturers use terms like ‘farm fresh,’ ‘eco-friendly,’ or ‘responsibly produced’ as selling points for their products, without providing specifics, this usually leaves consumers hanging. ‘Farm fresh,’ for one, is a purely marketing phrase, and says nothing of the sustainable nature of the product.
Misleading Labels
The Aldi Mondelēz Copycat Case is a typical example of how using a misleading label could be a form of greenwashing. Mimicking the package material of an established brand, or using terms like ‘organic’ or ‘natural,’ without having certification or commensurate evidence to back the claim, constitutes food label greenwashing.
ALSO READ: What “Natural,” “Organic” and “Non-GMO” Really Mean — And What to Trust on Food Labels
Certifications That Actually Mean Something
Some authentic food certifications could serve as verification for eco-friendly food marketing.
In the eco-friendly food marketing industry, ‘organic’ certifications are one of the few verifiables. The US Department of Agriculture provides standards and certifies the content and manufacturing process of products before they can be marketed as organic. Similarly, there’s a regional organic policy in force in the European Union.
Another tranche of sustainability certifications relates to the ethical production of food. The Non-GMO Project establishes a range of rigorous standards that help consumers avoid GMOs in food. There’s also the Rainforest Alliance, which provides certification to farms that practice sustainable agriculture and social justice to local communities. Food products that are certified by Fairtrade are produced through transparent and mutually beneficial contracts between farmers and workers.
For manufacturers who are confident that their production activities have a negligible carbon footprint, they can obtain environmental food certification. For instance, Climate Neutral and Carbon Trust are independent organizations that measure and certify the carbon footprint of companies and their products.
For companies seeking to avoid suspicion as perpetrators of food label greenwashing, third-party verification is crucial. With such verifications in place, consumer trust for sustainable food labeling naturally increases. However, in the absence of authentic food certifications, food label greenwashing may become the norm.
How to Spot Greenwashing
Are you still wondering how to identify food label greenwashing and avoid misleading eco claims? Here are a few helpful suggestions:
- Investigate whether a company’s green marketing is not a facade to cloak other unwholesome and unsustainable activities.
- Be wary of food label claims that lack supporting information on the company’s website.
- Check if the company or product have recognized third-party certifications.
- Look out for targeted and specific claims, and rule out vague terms as inconsequential.
With these four steps, it would be almost impossible for a food product or company culpable of greenwashing to fly under your radar.
ALSO READ: The Hidden Water Footprint of Your Favorite Foods — And Why It Matters
The Role of Regulation and Consumer Action
The European Union is throttling ahead with a regulation that promises to eliminate misleading eco claims for its local consumers. The initiative is called the EU Green Claims Directive (GCD) and was proposed by the European Commission in 2023; it is expected to be in full enforcement by the end of 2025.
The core goal of the GCD is to make sure that environmental claims are verifiable and communicated to consumers with clarity. For instance, a conspicuous QR code on a food label could take consumers to the website of a third-party that authenticates a sustainability claim. Companies caught flouting the strict rules governing GCD are liable to heavy fines or an outright ban from operating in the EU.
The EU’s regulations to check food label greenwashing may be the strictest around. However, other regions also have a combination of less-prescriptive eco-food label guides protecting consumers against deceptive claims.
Consumers cannot afford to be passive spectators in the ongoing discussions on food label greenwashing. Some of the ways they can contribute to making sustainability claims more reliable are:
- Go the extra mile to verify sustainability claims using relevant websites/apps
- Support brands that practice transparency in sourcing and maintain an up-to-date archive of sustainability reports
- Report sustainability claims that reek of food label greenwashing to local consumer protection authorities.
It is easy to read food labels half-heartedly during shopping trips. However, you probably understand by now that food labels can empower you in making healthy purchase decisions. Similarly, some labels could mislead consumers in their buying decisions. So, keep your eyes peeled and deploy the sustainability label facts outlined in this piece.
A truly sustainable choice isn’t just about what’s printed on the package — it’s about what’s behind.
