Are you choosing a product in the store with a green label, rustic font and a huge “100% natural” sign? You might think you are buying healthy, organic food. Unfortunately, in many cases, you could be falling victim to a phenomenon known as greenwashing. How do you distinguish true certified products from mere marketing gimmicks? We explain what to look out for so that your purchases are fully informed.
What is greenwashing in the food industry?
Greenwashing (or pseudo-ecological marketing) is the intentional misleading of consumers by suggesting that a product, brand, or production process is more environmentally friendly than it actually is. According to a study conducted by the European Commission, up to half of the green claims on packaging in the EU can be unclear, misleading, or unfounded [1].
In the case of food, producers most often use three tricks:
- Color and graphic manipulation: Using green packaging, motifs of leaves, trees, farmers, or animals grazing in a meadow.
- Vague slogans: Tossing around words that are not legally regulated. Catchphrases like “natural”, “traditional”, “homestyle”, “from a home recipe”, or “from clean regions” sound good, but they do not mean the product is organic.
- Fake, proprietary stamps: Creating icons that resemble official certificates (e.g., green circles with a checkmark and the words “ECO-choice”), which are not backed by any independent controls.
Eco, Bio, Organic – these words are protected by law!
To protect consumers from such practices, the European Union has introduced very strict regulations. According to Regulation (EU) 2018/848 [2], terms such as “ecological”, “bio” (biological), and “organic” are legally protected.
A producer cannot use these words on the packaging (even in the company’s own name!) if the product has not undergone a rigorous, multi-stage certification process. Any unauthorized use of the prefix “BIO” or “ECO” on a conventional product is subject to severe financial penalties.
How to recognize true organic food in 3 steps?
Industry organizations, such as IFOAM Organics Europe (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements), have been appealing for years for consumers to base their choices not on marketing promises, but on hard verification systems [3].
To be absolutely sure that true organic food lands in your shopping basket, do a quick label test:
- Look for the Euroleaf: The packaging must feature the official EU organic farming logo (white stars arranged in the shape of a leaf on a light green background). Only this symbol guarantees the EU standard. Read more.
- Check the certification body code: Right below the Euroleaf, there must be the code of the institution that inspected the producer (e.g., PL-EKO-01). This is proof that the product is under the constant supervision of independent auditors.
- Pay attention to the origin: Below the code, you will find information about where the raw materials come from (e.g., EU Agriculture, non-EU Agriculture, or EU/non-EU Agriculture).
The rule is simple: the absence of the Euroleaf and the certification body number means that the product is not organic, no matter how green and “natural” its packaging seems. An informed consumer does not buy promises – they buy certified quality.
References:
