Food buyers today are increasingly aware and attentive to what companies and manufacturers decide to communicate on the food label and packaging of their products, but also on the many different channels in which they are present, such as websites, social networks, magazines, etc…
Consumers and female consumers actively participate in the choices that determine the quality of business processes through a demand for increasingly clear and high standards. We therefore often speak of ” consumAtors” that is, of the ability that consumers have to influence entire market segments with their choices. This change starts from a growing awareness and a growing need for knowledge of the processes behind products, especially food. Today’s consumers are more aware and demand transparent communication about the food they bring to their tables.
Especially among younger people, this leap in awareness has produced a real reversal in the index of factors that make them prefer one product to another. If before, in fact, price played a decisive role and often, in relation to the quality offered, was the only evaluation criterion in the choice of consumers, today the values expressed by brands, the territoriality of the products, the origin and transparency of the production chain have taken on greater weight. This is why companies in the agri-food sector that have been able to listen and understand these new consumer needs have invested in a controlled supply chain, traceability, environmental protection, eco-sustainability of packaging and have made sure to also adapt their way of communicating by highlighting these actions and choices.
Transparent communication in the food supply chain: what it’s all about
We often hear about transparent communication: a self-declared choice by many companies. The point is that it is not enough to say that you are transparent in your communication, you have to actually do it. One of the elements of transparent communication is simplification, that is, the ability to explain to consumers in a simple way the processes and choices behind the final product.
It is therefore a commitment that the company makes to its customers by putting information and authenticity first.
The demand for transparency is a fast-growing trend that also seeks answers within supply chains. Certified information on the origin of the product, on the manufacturing process and on the distribution chain are just a few elements that make a supply chain transparent by giving consumers the opportunity to know in a certified way not only what the product they have in their hands is (the list of all its ingredients), but also how it was made (origin of raw materials, environmental impact and sustainability, recyclability and waste, energy consumption, respect for human and workers’ rights, and so on).
The value of a brand depends, in fact, not only on its products but also on the certainty that the company is able to guarantee by providing transparent and as complete information as possible of all the production and distribution stages of the individual product.
What do we tell consumers in food labels?
The choice of what to say to consumers within a food label and on the packaging therefore plays a central role in product communication and marketing and for brand reputation. The identification of data and objective criteria and certified information to be provided to consumers in an increasingly transparent manner is undoubtedly the direction in which market-leading companies and directives on the subject are moving for the agribusiness sector.
Food labels are a (regulated) way to inform consumers about product characteristics to consciously guide their choice. A food label is in fact the set of mentions, indications and trademarks, images or symbols referring to a foodstuff and appearing directly on the packaging or wrapping or on a label affixed thereto or on transport documents.
However, in addition to the main and mandatory information that a food product label must contain by law according to ‘Article 3 Legislative Decree 109/92, there are a number of other additional information that can be provided to the consumer such as environmental impact or animal welfare.
Food labeling and animal welfare
The possibility of using a smart labeling system to provide consumers with more detailed information about the origin of food, the type of farming from which the animals from which certain products are produced are increasingly present and widespread.
An example of this type of label that is already in circulation and widely used is the one for laying hens, through which the consumer can know whether the hens are free-range, free-range, or cage or battery reared.
On animal welfare certification, however, there is still no unified system to differentiate between different levels based on the type of farms, their characteristics and the choices made by farmers.
A recent labeling system proposal comes from France, which after the Nutri-Score through which the nutritional value of a product is measured and the Eco-Score that considers environmental impact, has proposed a new labeling system that takes into account environmental impact and animal welfare called Planet Score. This new system is based on LCA methodology but also takes into account pesticide use, impact on climate and biodiversity, and animal welfare. You can read an in-depth discussion on this topic published by Ruminantia.com..
The goal of this type of labeling is to provide greater transparency and unambiguous criteria to empower consumers to make more informed choices about the products they buy.
We talked about animal welfare labeling with Elisa Bianco, Ciwf’s food sector manager for Italy, you can review the video of our interview here.
