‘Natural’ and ‘Sustainable’ Food Labels May Be Misleading Shoppers, Researchers Warn

Takeaways

• A new Australian study found that many supermarket foods using terms like “natural” and “sustainable” rely on marketing language rather than verified environmental claims.
• Researchers discovered that nearly 40% of packaged foods carried sustainability-related labels, but most were self-declared by manufacturers.
• Experts warn that unclear and unregulated environmental claims may confuse shoppers and increase the risk of greenwashing in the food industry.

A new Australian study has raised concerns about the growing use of environmental buzzwords on supermarket food packaging, with researchers warning that many claims may be more about marketing than genuine sustainability.

Researchers from the George Institute for Global Health examined more than 27,000 packaged food products sold across major supermarket chains, including Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, IGA, and Harris Farm Markets in Sydney.

The findings, published in the journal Public Health Nutrition, showed that nearly four in 10 food products displayed some form of sustainability-related messaging.

Researchers identified 69 different environmental claims across supermarket shelves. Among the most common were terms such as “natural” and “vegan.” However, experts involved in the study said many of these labels lacked clear definitions or independent verification.

Associate Professor Alexandra Jones, who led the food governance program at the institute, said most claims were created by manufacturers themselves rather than backed by third-party certification.

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She warned that the lack of regulation around environmental labeling could create significant risks of greenwashing.

According to Jones, consumers are increasingly trying to make environmentally responsible food choices, but vague labels can make it difficult to understand what products genuinely deliver environmental benefits.

She also pointed out that terms like “natural” have no legal definition in many cases, despite being widely associated with healthier or more eco-friendly products.

The researchers carried out a second study, published in Cleaner and Responsible Consumption, to examine whether products making climate-related claims actually had lower carbon emissions.

The results showed a mixed picture. While some products with environmental labels generally had lower carbon footprints, others did not live up to their claims.

In categories such as meat and confectionery, products advertising environmental benefits were found to have significantly higher emissions than similar products without such labels.

Lead author Mariel Keaney said the findings raised serious questions about consumer trust.

She noted that when high-emission products carry “carbon-friendly” messaging, shoppers may end up being misled rather than informed.

Experts outside the study also expressed concern over the growing number of unclear sustainability claims in the food sector.

Professor Natalina Zlatevska from the University of Technology Sydney said consumers are increasingly interested in understanding the environmental impact of the products they buy.

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However, she added that the wide variety of labels and the absence of standard definitions are creating confusion for shoppers trying to make sustainable choices.

The research adds to a wider global debate around food sustainability claims and whether governments should introduce stricter rules for environmental labeling on supermarket products.

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Source: The Guardian