The UK government has axed existing proposals to introduce mandatory eco-labelling across the food and drinks industry.
The decision to row back on the plans marks the latest eco retreat by prime minister Rishi Sunak and was disclosed in a Food Data Transparency Partnership (FDTP) policy paper.
The FDTP, set up by Defra, was inspired by Henry Dimbleby’s National Food Strategy, which recommended the government should introduce mandatory business reporting to help standardise measuring and reporting of Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions across the sector.
In an about-turn on previous communications, the paper said: “Government has no plans at present to introduce a mandatory eco-label, nor to endorse an existing or new eco-labelling scheme.
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“Currently, there is limited evidence that eco-labelling has an impact on in-store consumer and business behaviour.
“However, where they are being used, we believe it is important that they provide a fair and accurate representation of a product’s environmental impact, so that genuinely more sustainable products can successfully differentiate themselves and consumers are not misled.”
The paper revealed that it has also rowed back on ambitions to standardise measuring and reporting for Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions for food and drink businesses.
Boris Johnson, the former PM, has previously described eco-labels as a chance for the UK to take back control from the EU.
Last year, it was reported supermarkets including Tesco, M&S and Asda were supporting plans for front-of-pack eco-labelling, despite concern from across the rest of the food and drink sector.
