Green Food Labels

Written by Olivia Richardson: 30-August-2008

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So you've seen eco-friendly rating stickers on new cars, but have you ever thought about consumer goods eco labels?

Japanese governments certainly have.

Companies in Japan will start labeling detergents, snackfoods and drinks with carbon footprint values from April 2009 so consumers know how much they  cost in greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing, delivery and disposal processes.

Japan's trade ministry's research shows that a bag of potato chips (of an unspecified size) emits 75 grams of carbon dioxide. In percentages, that breaks down to:
44% – growing the potatoes

30% – processing those potatoes into crispy form

15% – packaging 

9% – delivering them to stores

2% – disposing of the empty packaging.

In comparison, Australia's 'greenest' vehicle, the Toyota Prius emits 106g of carbon dioxide per 100km; while something 'meatier' like a Ford Territory Ghia releases 289g per 100km.

"We hope that displaying carbon footprints will raise awareness among consumers as well as companies of their emissions and motivate them to emit less C02," says Trade Ministry official Shintaro Ishihara.

Similar labels have been introduced to the UK and France. Let's hope they end up here! Stay tuned...

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