Supermarket foods claiming to be ‘natural’ or ‘sustainable’ mostly just using marketing terms, researchers find
Summary
Australian researchers studied over 27,000 packaged supermarket foods and found that many use terms like “natural” or “sustainable” mainly as marketing without proof. The study showed that these claims are often not checked, which can confuse shoppers trying to buy environmentally friendly products.Key Facts
- Researchers from the George Institute for Global Health examined foods from major Sydney supermarkets.
- Nearly 40% of products had some environmental claim on their packaging.
- Most claims were made by manufacturers themselves without outside verification.
- Terms like “natural” and “vegan” appeared most often, but “natural” has no legal definition.
- Some products labeled as “carbon friendly” actually had higher carbon emissions than similar, unlabeled products.
- Experts say unclear and unregulated claims can mislead consumers and reduce trust.
- Other countries use clear rating systems, like France’s Eco-Score, to help shoppers quickly understand environmental impact.
- Researchers recommend stronger rules to regulate environmental claims on food labels for better consumer guidance.
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