Prevalence of sustainability claims on packaged food.

Abstract

Objective: Global food systems have a key influence on both health and sustainability. Dietary shifts that promote health and sustainability are regarded as a critical synergistic pathway for advancing human and planetary health. In response, consumer interest in the sustainability of food systems has prompted the use of claims highlighting positive sustainability attributes displayed on-pack. This study assessed the prevalence and types of sustainability claims displayed on packaged food in Australia.

Design: Claims data on packaged food were collected at five supermarkets in Sydney in 2024. We determined the prevalence of sustainability claims overall, by claim category and format (text or logo).

Setting: Australia.

Participants: None.

Results: Over a third of products displayed at least one sustainability claim, the most prevalent being natural and vegan. Text claims were far more prevalent than logos (84% v 16% of total claims identified on pack, respectively).

Conclusions: Frequent use of broad and unspecific sustainability claims raises challenges for substantiation, and there is a risk that consumers are being misled. Our findings support the need for stronger regulation, including criteria for terms used in claims, to improve consumer trust and comparability across products.