Re: updated Swedish food labels

This is very interesting, and links into two of my currently active  
concerns: informatics, and environmental impact. I agree with Karel  
that these days it would be more sensible to provide a summary of the  
information, and a link to where further information is available.

I have read that in Japan, one way of providing instant mobile access  
to information is by printing two-dimensional barcodes on the  
packaging. An example that I read about was packs of tuna for sushi.  
You whip out your mobile camera-phone, take a snap of the barcode,  
and up on your screen pops a load of information about which hour of  
what day it was caught, where, by which boat and so on. It wasn't  
clear to me whether the phone was simply acting as a reader for data  
stored in the 2-D barcode (they can pack in about as much data as a  
dozen text messages, I understand), or whether it is a link to data  
on a Web site. Either would work: the latter approach is used on  
roadside adverts.

I agree with Deborah, however, that it's a tall order to sum up the  
carbon footprint of a package of something when you don't know, at  
the point of packaging, how far it has to travel to its destination.  
Which reminds me of the emotion somewhere between scorn and fury  
expressed by a fellow member of the press pack at the Seybold  
Publishing Conference in San Francisco some years back, when he saw  
that the press room was stocked with Evian water. Water, shipped in  
from France! when the Saratoga springs are just up the road.

BTW I wonder if, with hindsight, Neil Armstrong would have said:
"That's one small step for a man...
one giant carbon footprint for humanity."

Conrad


On 13 Apr 2010, at 06:30, Karel van der Waarde wrote:

> Deborah,
>
> Thanks for your message about "carbon dioxide emission labelling"  
> in Sweden.
>
> Yesterday, I interviewed the communication manager of a  
> conglomerate which 'produces and sells natural ingredients and  
> foodstuffs for the international food industry, foodservice channel  
> (restaurants, caterers and wholesalers) and retail outlets.'  
> Basically, they make things like sugar, starch, inulin, bioethanol  
> and all sorts of bakery ingredients.
>
> This company is increasingly asked to supply an 'ingredient  
> passport' that tells exactly where an ingredient comes from  
> (harvest dates, furtilizers used, ...), how the ingredient is  
> extracted, transported, and mixed .... Only some of this  
> information must be mentioned on the label for consumers. However,  
> a manufacturer of food needs to be able to trace the history of  
> each ingredient back to its source.
>
> This whole 'information chain' is in development at the moment and  
> it is likely that there will be European/US regulations related to  
> this. I hope that there will be difference between 'must appear on  
> the package' and 'you can find more information on the following  
> website: ...'. A small but complex sweet like 'mentos' or a chewing  
> gum might need to be accompanied by a substantial book to replace  
> the current labelling information on the wrapper.
>
> If the Swedes believe in 'printed labels' - in stead of digital  
> access to information - than I estimate that in a few years time  
> about half the floorspace of supermarkets will look like a library  
> and is filled with 'ingredient passports and nutrional labelling'.
>
> Kind regards,
> Karel.
> [email protected]
>
>>>>
>
> On 13 Apr 2010, at 05:43, Deborah Taylor-Pearce wrote:
>
> Café,
>
> A *brief* description in the Spring 2010 issue of the Heifer
> organization's _World Ark_ publication (p. 7) -- for which, try
>
> http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/heifer/worldark_2010spring/#/8
>
> or if that direct link doesn't work, follow the links from Heifer's
> Web page at
>
> http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.201480/
>
> -- notes that the Swedish government is in the process of "rolling 
> out" new food & nutrition labels "that give equal weight to human and
> climate health."
>
> In addition to counting fat & calories, the new Swedish labels
> apparently list the CO2 emissions associated with a food's processing.
> (And I thought counting calories accurately was a challenge! ;-)
>
> Has anyone seen the new design?
>
> I gather from the Heifer magazine mention that the new Swedish labels
> are already turning up on some food packages, in addition to appearing
> on some restaurant menus.
>
>
> ... Nothing yet, though, on my package of whole-grain Krisprolls
> ("From Sweden with Love!"), which already sports 2 different nutrition
> labels.
>
> For those who are curious, I've temporarily posted a facsimile of the
> label on the front of the Krisprolls bag at:
>
> http://www.she-philosopher.com/home/temp/Krisprolls_label-front.jpg
>
> and a facsimile of the label on the bottom of the bag at:
>
> http://www.she-philosopher.com/home/temp/Krisprolls_label-bottom.jpg
> (NOTE: this U.S.-style label on the bottom of the bag appears to have
> been pasted over yet another label, printed with the packaging)
>
>
> I think Krisprolls are indeed "a wholesome delight," as advertised on
> the front of the package.
>
> But shipping them to Southern California has got to add substantially
> to the food's carbon footprint ... and I wonder if that little factoid
> will be recorded on the new label, or included in the calculation of
> impact on climate health....
>
> Deborah
>
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