ECO LABELS

Two of the world’s biggest food companies have joined a new project that seeks to provide environmental labels on supermarket products. Nestlé and Tyson Foods have partnered with the organisation Foundation Earth in a UK pilot project, which will see a ‘traffic light’ label applied to products so consumers can evaluate its environmental impact, similar to the way nutritional labels are currently used. The products will be evaluated on four areas – carbon, water use, water pollution and biodiversity – resulting in a grade from G to A+. According to the Foundation Earth website, the aim is “to promote more sustainable buying choices from consumers and more environmentally friendly innovation from food producers, who will be determined to secure a better score.”