Plant-based meat brand Quorn is set to become the first major company to show carbon labelling on all of its products.
Basically doing what it says on the tin, carbon labelling shows the carbon footprint of different products. This aims to help consumers make educated choices about their buying habits and the environmental impacts of the products they’re consuming.
The roll out will begin in June, with all products carrying the new information by 2021. But if you’re interested before then, the “farm to shop” carbon footprint data for the company’s top 30 products will be available for your reading pleasure from Thursday.
All of the information is certified by the Carbon Trust, so you know it’s legitimate.
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May studies have concluded that opting for a vegan or meat-free diet is a great way to significantly lower your carbon footprint, but now Quorn fans can have a better understanding of how their dietary choices impact the planet.
“This is about giving people the information needed to make informed decisions about the food they eat and the effect it has on our planet’s climate – in the same way that nutrition information is clearly labelled to help inform decisions on health,” Quorn CCO Peter Harrison said, as quoted in The Guardian.
The company claims to be the first plant-based meat manufacturer to have their carbon footprint data certified by an external source such as the Carbon Trust.
“We are really excited to be working with Quorn to certify their product carbon footprint data and help improve communication to its customers. It’s really important that consumers have robust information to help inform their purchases and we’re pleased to be able to work with Quorn on this,” Carbon Trust managing director Hugh Jones said, according to Just Food.
An estimated 200,000 tonnes of CO2 were saved in 2018 from shoppers choosing Quorn products as an alternative to meat, the company claims.
Using mycoprotein, which is made of a mushroom-like fungus, Quorn “beef” products are estimated to have a carbon footprint that’s up to 90% lower than regular beef.
The carbon labelling announcement comes after the company prioritised emissions reduction strategies. According to Carbon Trust, the company minimised their emissions by 26% between 2012 and 2017, despite producing approximately 30,000 tonnes more product in that time.
You can view the 2019 carbon footprint data for a number of Australian products including mince and vegan fillets on the website.
Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or maybe you just like to try a good ol’ meat-free Monday, the introduction of carbon labelling on a major supermarket brand is a huge win for the planet.
