Eco-score is on the rise

Consumers increasingly want to make responsible choices when purchasing products. The Nutri-score is already fairly well established while Eco-score is on the rise. "It will demand plenty of attention from the food industry in the coming years," says Liesbet Onghena of KTBA. 

The Nutri-score is a food choice logo that helps consumers make healthier choices. "It is not yet a legal requirement, but it is wise to consider what the Nutri-Score can mean for producers. Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of their own health and will look at the Nutri score with growing interest and factor it into their buying decision. In turn, producers can position their products more positively with this label compared to similar products from competitors," said Liesbet Onghena, LabelCompliance consultant at KTBA. The company supports producers and suppliers in the food industry in the areas of quality, safety, laws and regulations. "Among other things, we guide companies in how to improve this score. For example, a number of ingredients may be just on the borderline of a good or even better score. Together with our client, we look at how a better score can be achieved with minimal effort."

The health of the planet

Not only the interest in the Nutri-score is growing. "Consumers are more aware not only of their own health, but also of the health of the planet," Onghena said. "Transparency from food producers toward consumers regarding sustainability is becoming increasingly important. Hence the growing attention for and interest in the Eco-score, the score to indicate the ecological impact of a food product. Among consumers, retailers as well as producers. "

Eco-score

The Eco score is similar to the Nutri-score, with five labels (A - E). It maps the full environmental impact of a food product. "The Eco-score is based on the LCA or environmental impact of the product during its life cycle. In addition, plus or minus points can be added to a product based on granted certifications such as fair trade and organic, origin of ingredients, impact on biodiversity and ecosystems and packaging." This last point - packaging - is a concern for many producers. "With packaging, both the upstream (how it is made) and the downstream (how it is recyclable) are important. Companies depend heavily on their supplier for this. They will have to request the information from them to understand more about its environmental impact."

Required information

"Gathering the necessary info to make an Eco-score calculation is not always easy," Onghena states. "Many companies are still searching. For example, what should you do if certain information is not available? How far back in the chain do you have to go to determine the environmental impact? Who within the company collects the necessary information? Often various departments are involved in the sub-aspects that affect the Eco-score. This sometimes makes it less attractive for producers to get started." Still, taking action now is highly recommended. "One retailer in Belgium has already started with the Eco-score and more are expected to follow. In addition, laws and regulations are getting stricter. If the logo is introduced on a larger scale, it could lead to competition between food producing companies. Those thinking about it now can already take some steps to do things differently. Improving the Eco-score is often a long-term process." Onghena gives an example: "If it turns out that the packaging of a food product has too great an impact on the environment, as a company you will have to consider choosing a more environmentally friendly alternative. This means talks with other/new suppliers, checking what impact other packaging has on your costs, product, production processes, logistics ... In short, the Eco-score is evolving and will keep the food industry busy in the coming years. KTBA can of course support companies in this process."