Brief - The Hustle

Will carbon footprints be the new calorie counts?

Written by Nick DeSantis | Jun 30, 2020 11:19:57 AM

The fake-meat purveyor Quorn says it’s breaking into new territory by labeling 30 of its most popular products with detailed information about their carbon footprints.

If the move sounds a little opportunistic, that’s because it is. Quorn is joining a long list of companies responding to rising consumer demands for more transparency about the impact of the food they eat. 

Fast Company pointed out that Whole Foods already stamps certain meat products with labels that show how strictly they adhere to animal-welfare standards.

Worth nothing: It’s not just consumers who are asking for sustainable beef. Investors are getting hip, too.

If others follow suit, counting carbon footprints could get messy 

The Food and Drug Administration already requires most prepared foods to carry nutrition labels. And the US Department of Agriculture oversees the use of the term “organic.”

Adding carbon footprints to the mix would open up a whole new world of regulatory jargon to argue about.