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Green seals in the test: trust in food is declining rapidly!
Greenpeace checks 42 food seals: over 26% are unreliable. New EU directive aims to provide clarity.
Green seals in the test: trust in food is declining rapidly!
The environmental protection organization Greenpeace has published an alarming study on food seals, which is of great importance for many consumers. According to Greenpeace's findings, over a quarter of the 42 food labels tested are not trustworthy. Melanie Ebner, agriculture expert at Greenpeace, explained that the multitude of labels leads to confusion when purchasing and consumers need real, transparent information to make sustainable decisions. This result goes hand in hand with a survey that shows that 64 percent of respondents think quality labels are important, but over 60 percent have concerns about greenwashing. These reservations mean that many people pay less attention to seals when shopping for food, as the analysis shows.
Results of the investigation
Various quality seals were analyzed in Greenpeace's revised quality mark guide. It found that some labels, such as the MSC label for fish and the RSPO label for palm oil, can have a negative impact on environmental goals. On the other hand, there are trustworthy quality marks such as Demeter and Bio Austria that are considered role models. Greenpeace is therefore demanding that the planned EU “Green Claims” directive make it clear that companies are only allowed to make scientifically tested sustainability promises. This means that terms such as “sustainable” and “climate-friendly” can only be used in the future if they actually meet transparent standards, which is currently still being negotiated. This initiative could help increase consumer trust in food labels and provide clarity.
The analysis also shows that 450,000 tons of pork are produced in Austria every year, although a new study by Tierschutz Austria also makes critical comments about meat labels. Similar problems are reflected here, as 40 percent of labels contain no information on animal welfare, while only 14 percent guarantee higher standards. These problems highlight the urgent need for reformed transparency standards in the food industry to enable informed purchasing decisions, as the experts from Greenpeace also emphasize.