Nutrition company adds carbon labelling to food products

Plant-based nutrition company Upfield has announced plans to introduce carbon labelling to its products in a bid to encourage consumers to make more sustainable food choices. 

Brands including plant-based butter Flora will be the first to introduce the new labels, the goal is to help consumers to make informed decisions about the environmental impact of the foods they choose.

This decision follows a report published last year which highlighted that consumer behaviour is positively affected by carbon labelling.

The report found that when consumers can make direct comparisons between different food groups they tend to opt for the food with lower environmental impacts.

The report also revealed that consumers tend to underestimate the carbon impact of the foods they eat, so informing and inspiring them to choose foods that are more sustainable is a crucial step to tackling climate change.

Dr Jeanette Fielding, chief corporate affairs and communications officer at Upfield said: ‘Today’s food labels already provide consumers with a lot of important information about ingredients, health benefits, allergens, storage and use.

‘By adding carbon labels, consumers will also be able to understand the impact their food choices have on our climate.

‘This initiative will support the transition to a more sustainable food system, using full disclosure and transparency as a key motivator for sustainable food choices. We call upon our industry peers to follow suit and implement on-pack carbon labelling now.’

Sally Smith, head of sustainability at Upfield added: ‘Upfield is committed to assessing the environmental impact of our plant-based foods and using these assessments to help consumers make more sustainable food choices.

‘Living within environmental limits for a growing global population requires a shift from growers, manufacturers and consumers. Sharing science-based environmental assessments is the only responsible way of communicating to consumers the climate impact of their food choices.’

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