Apr 9, 20212 min read

Have you heard of the term Greenwashing?

You know when you are walking through the middle aisles in a grocery store, browsing for some convenient packaged foods to add to your basket and you come across a product that looks relatively healthy as it has natural claims on it and the packaging is appealing? Well, I hate to break it to you but some of these products that look healthy may only be giving you the impression that they are healthy for you. This is known as"greenwashing"...

Greenwashing is the process of conveying a false impression or providing misleading information about how a company's products are more sustainable or healthy in order to increase sales of their products.

I only recently learned about this term from a fellow CSNN grad (LivNourished) who taught a really awesome webinar on the food industry. Now that I understand the term, I know as a consumer I have fallen for this method of marketing MANY times.

When I go grocery shopping, I do my best to make choices that support my health and wellbeing. I tend to associate that with natural products. Too often though I take a quick glance at the package on the shelf, and if I see claims such as "Natural", "Eco", "Made with Organic", "Plant-based" or "non-GMO", I instantly associate the product with it being better for my health when in reality it might not be. If I were to take the time to look at the food label and scan the ingredients list, it's possible I will find ingredients that my body doesn't need or that I don't feel is a healthy product for me.

I believe as consumers, we need to be our own advocates for our health and wellness. This starts with being educated on how to make informed decisions on what products we choose to purchase and consume. So I wanted to share a few ways to help you detect greenwashing!

3 Ways to help you detect Greenwashing:

Look at the food labels, not the packaging. Assess the ingredients list first. Then check out the nutrition facts table. If you notice some ingredients you are not comfortable with or don't recognize, it's probably best to put the product back on the shelf.
Be cautious of environmentally friendly or natural slogans. This also includes packaging with earth tones and branding that gives you the au naturel vibes. There are many unregulated health and nutrition claims found on packaging. I encourage you to trust your gut and do your research if something doesn't feel quite right.
Look for proof of claims. Products that are in fact healthier for you will often hold specific certifications that are noticeable on their packaging. For example, the Canada Organic Logo is only permitted on products with 95% or more organic content and has been certified by an approved certification body. This process is much lengthier and likely more expensive for a company to obtain than it is to use an unregulated nutrition or health claim.