Standardization of European food ecolabels can prevent consumer confusion, study finds

A study from Aarhus University, Denmark, shows that there are differences in how European food ecolabels are created, with variations in functional units, system boundaries, and impact categories assessed. The study urges the need for standardization to avoid consumer confusion.

An ecolabel is a certification that evaluates a range of environmental impacts and may, in certain cases, also encompass social considerations.

Researchers from the Department of Agroecology analyzed 31 food ecolabels based on LCAs across EU countries, Norway, the UK, and Switzerland. The study outcome is said to be the first comprehensive overview of such labels.

The study, published in Sustainable Production and Consumption, found that 74% of the investigated ecolabels are graded using scales featuring letters, numbers, or binary badges. About half of the ecolabels include traffic-light colors.

“While ecolabels have the potential to drive more sustainable consumption and production, the current lack of harmonized standards risks confusing consumers, weakening policy effectiveness, and enabling selective compliance,” say the researchers.

According to the study, the inconsistencies can lead to two labels assessing the same product reaching different conclusions.

“While most schemes lean on generic databases with sparse product-specific agricultural data, few enforce clear requirements on data quality and secondary data selection, raising uncertainty and cherry-picking risks.” 

“Label formats range from binary badges to multigrade traffic lights, with inconsistent threshold-setting methods and limited guidance on presenting aggregated versus disaggregated impacts among labels.”

Harmonization in Europe

The results reveal that 61% of the labels originate from Western Europe, while none were identified from Eastern Europe, highlighting an imbalance.

The authors point to the European Commission’s Product Environmental Footprint framework as a guideline for LCA to build a single green market across EU member states, but stress that it “needs to evolve significantly to reach this aim.”

“Future ecolabeling efforts should prioritize the establishment of harmonized methodological guidelines tailored to food products. These guidelines should clearly define the choice of functional units, system boundaries, and impact categories based on empirical findings, scientific principles, and societal values,” say the researchers.

“They should also include transparent rules for data quality, striking a balance between accuracy and feasibility. Moreover, the guidelines should support the development of standardized label formats that balance consumer readability with scientific rigor.”