Unilever accused of greenwashing its food brands under scrutiny from Dutch authorities

The Dutch Consumers Association, Consumentenbond, has accused Unilever of “large-scale greenwashing,” with its research showing that over half of examined products carried misleading sustainability claims, along with the use of “self-invented” logos for added credibility.

It is now urging the Netherlands Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM) to take immediate action against Unilever. 

Consumentenbond says the use of the broad term “sustainable” in food products, such as “sustainably grown” and “sustainably grown cocoa,” is misleading due to its vague nature.

Manufacturers are only allowed to use such claims if a product demonstrably has no negative impact, which the organization says is virtually impossible.

For the research, the team examined over 450 products from nine Unilever brands, finding a misleading sustainability claim in over 247 products. These include products from the Calvé, Unox, Knorr, Hellmann’s, Ola, and Lipton brands.

Those found to be free of greenwashing include Ben & Jerry’s, Hertog IJs, and the Vegetarische Slager.

The investigation also revealed four kinds of self-made logos on 118 products, including Knorr meal mixes (75), Unox soups (24), Ola Magnum (10), and Calvé peanut butter (9).

The research found Ben & Jerry’s, Hertog IJs and the Vegetarische Slager brands to be free of greenwashing.

Monitoring sustainability claims

Dorith de Jong, press officer, Policy and Communications Department at the ACM, tells Food Ingredients First that the Consumentenbond report is a “strong signal” which the authority takes into account in its monitoring of sustainability claims in the food sector.

Meanwhile, a Unilever spokesperson emphasizes that the company’s sustainability claims on the packaging are based on its Sustainable Agriculture Principles and/or internationally recognized certification schemes from independent third parties. 

“At the same time, we recognize the importance of transparent and understandable communication to consumers,” the spokesperson tells us.

“In light of the rapidly changing European and national legislation and regulations regarding sustainability claims and (company) quality marks, we have been working for some time on a thorough review of the sustainability statements on our packaging, websites and other communication channels.”

The revision process aims to continue meeting current and future legal requirements, such as the Empowering Consumers Directive, which will come into effect on September 27, 2026.

However, the spokesperson emphasizes that such adjustments “will not be immediately visible on the store shelf in all cases,” and the company will follow a “phased implementation” in line with Unilever’s sustainability objectives. 

This involves packaging adjustments as soon as the current packaging is no longer available, since it “prevents unnecessary waste of packaging material and/or food products,” they add.

In May 2024, Consumentenbond contacted Unilever over claims on Calvé Peanut Butter, which the company defended as carefully considered and not misleading.

Ongoing criticism

The Consumentenbond says it previously contacted Unilever in May 2024 about the claims on Calvé Peanut Butter (“We use sustainably grown peanuts”) and Knorr World Dishes (“Sustainable packaging” and “This product is made with sustainably grown ingredients”). 

However, the British multinational maintained that the Calvé Peanut Butter and Knorr claims had been carefully considered and were not misleading.

The UK Competition and Markets Authority also scrutinized Unilever in 2023, for using imagery and language, such as green leaves, that could imply certain products are more environmentally friendly than they are.

As the scrutiny on sustainability claims intensifies, widespread use of unclear declarations recently prompted the ACM to call on the food sector in April to review their sustainability claims.

“ACM will subsequently check whether the claims in the food sector are compliant. We expect to publish more about our approach soon,” says De Jong.

If the authority finds any claims that do not comply with consumer law, it can take enforcement action. “ACM will continue to keep a close watch on sustainability claims in other industries.”