Four German food brands to introduce climate labelling
Tagesspiegel
Four German food brands have announced plans for a common labelling system explaining how environmentally damaging each of their products are. According to an article in Der Tagesspiegel by Cordula Eubel and Heike Jahberg, Oatly, Frosta, Mymuesli and Nestlé Germany have founded the programme Together for Carbon Labelling, which is supported by the climate protection organisations German Zero and Global Impact Alliance. The exact form these labels will take is still being negotiated but they may use a colour-coding system similar to Germany’s current labelling for the sugar, fat and salt content of foods, Julian Zuber, Managing Director of German Zero, told the paper. Environmentalists may be surprised to see Nestlé’s name on the list given its poor track record on environmental and human rights, but Tobias Goj, head of Oatly’s German operation, told Tagesspiegel that "sometimes sensitivities such as the image of individual companies have to be left aside if you want to implement projects that change the existing system”.
The project follows on from Oatly’s petition last year demanding the German government introduce a similar system. The plant milk company collected 57,000 signatures, but Goj told the paper that it still hasn’t received a response from the parliament.
