'Greenwash' accusations hogwash: Food council

Words like "green", "organic" and "sustainable" are bandied about in New Zealand just as they are elsewhere in the world.

Katherine Rich, chief executive of the Food & Grocery Council, which represents the country's $15 billion food industry, says the word "organic" is clearly defined in New Zealand.

"Producers have to produce goods that meet a specific criteria. If the goods don't pass the test, companies can't say they are organic," she says.

There have been successful prosecutions by the Commerce Commission against foods falsely labelled as "organic".

"It's not so clear with the use of the word 'sustainable', which has a wide and varied use," says Rich.

Rich says the food industry is making real efforts to meet environmental demands.

"I work with people who are generally interested in the wider environmental debate ... Companies are working harder to reformulate their products from a health perspective - they are thinking about packaging issues and waste.

"Many companies are part of the Packaging Council and signatories to the New Zealand packaging accord to reduce waste."

Rich says she is aware of accusations of "greenwash" in the food industry, both in New Zealand and internationally.

"It's a cheap shot when some argue business is disinterested in the environment and corporate responsibility," she says. "My experience is that is not the case."

Many of the issues facing the food industry are not just "green" issues, but reflections of consumer desire for healthier options, says Rich.

While some consumer groups are pushing for traffic light labelling on food in New Zealand - to warn about a high sugar or salt content, for example - the council is against that approach.

"We see this as an overly simplistic way of dealing with a complex problem," says Rich. "There is no evidence that slapping red light labels on milk, cheese, honey and Marmite will help New Zealanders achieve a healthy diet.

"The industry understood years ago that consumers wanted more information about the food they eat and so committed to percentage daily intake labelling. Bringing in another form of labelling would cost consumers many millions of dollars for no gain.

"As for the good food/bad food labelling, it is a joyless person indeed who suggests that the average Kiwi who occasionally enjoys a piece of chocolate with their Milo needs a big red light slapped on their chocolate bar telling them it's bad."