The FPS Economy invites consumers to be wary of certain labels. It must be said that these quality certificates are more and more numerous on certain products. However, not all are equal.
In supermarkets, between real labels and simple logos, it is sometimes difficult to find your way around. Brands use purely marketing stratagems to seduce consumers. Via logos affixed to their products, they promise vegetarian, local or even eco-responsible products.
Faced with this, even the authorities sometimes find it difficult to identify trustmarks. “For a consumer, it is very difficult to know whether he is dealing with a reliable label or not. Because ultimately, the label is a form of for the company”, estimates Etienne Mignolet, spokesperson for the FPS Economy. “These problems are reinforced by the fact that anyone in principle can create a label, which many companies therefore do”specifies the FPS Economy on its website.
Here are the different criteria to which attention must be paid according to the FPS Economy:
- Checking the credibility of the label : check if you can find more information regarding the label and the environmental assessment. Can you find the label on an official website and are the criteria used to assess the environmental impact of the products clearly mentioned there?
- Beware of vague names : vague or ambiguous words or terms are used and are not clearly defined in the message, such as “pure nature”, “non-polluting”, “good for the planet”, “ecological”, “nature-friendly” , “sustainable”, “protects the environment”, etc.
- Station in garish colors and logos that give a particularly positive image of the brand are not always good indicators
The consumer association Test-Achats has carried out work to identify transparent labels, in other words those which are not awarded by the brand itself for its products.
For more information, consult the FPS Economy website.