EcoScore - a good idea, but ...

The Nutri-Score, which has just been accepted in many European countries, determines the nutritional value of a product and displays it in a simplified way using a colour code from green to red. Now another new front-of-pack label has been introduced in France - the EcoScore.

The EcoSore is intended to indicate the environmental performance of food products. According to information from the inventors "Etiquettable", the classification takes into account the life cycle assessment of the entire production life cycle of the food - from production, processing, packaging to logistics.

It is based on data from Agribalysis, which is produced by the French Agency for Environmental and Energy Management (ADEME). Each product receives a score out of 100, with "additional qualitative criteria" taken into account via a bonus-malus system. The recyclability of the packaging the country of origin and also the seasonality in the case of fruit and vegetables etc. are to be taken into account.

Critics object that intensive, industrialized agriculture would be favoured over organic farming.

In essence a good idea, but the consumer is likely to be rather confused by another score. Moreover, food producers will hardly find any free space for another colour code on the label in addition to the extensive mandatory information.

LInk: https://etiquettable.eco2initiative.com/

Author: Dr. Frank Mörsberger