Quorn is to put carbon footprint labels on 60% of its products in a bid to “better inform people” about the environmental impacts of the products they buy.
The meat alternative brand will display “Farm to Shop” carbon footprint data, certified by the Carbon Trust, on its top 30 selling products. The information will initially be available on its website, before appearing on pack later this year.
YouGov research has shown that 50% of consumers eat meat-free for environmental reasons, whilst 64% of consumers want to reduce their carbon footprint to “protect the planet for future generations”.
Quorn claims to be the first meat-free food manufacturer in the world to introduce third party carbon footprint accreditation via the Carbon Trust.
In 2018, Quorn said its products saved 200,000 tonnes of CO2e compared to meat equivalents. The greenhouse gas impact of mycoprotein, the fingi-based protein in Quorn products, is also “90% lower than beef”.
A spokesperson for the manufacturer said: “This is about giving people the information needed to make informed decisions about the food they eat and the effect it has on our planet’s climate – in the same way that nutrition information is clearly labelled to help inform decisions on health – and we’re asking other brands to get on board with us.”
In a 2019 YouGov survey of 9,037 adults in seven countries – Canada, the Netherlands, Italy, the US, Sweden, the UK and Spain – 67% supported a “recognisable carbon label”. The poll also showed the potential brand benefits of tracking and displaying carbon emissions: 66% of consumers said they would feel “more positive” about companies that can demonstrate they are making efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of their products.
