Greenwashing & advertising lies - beware of misleading!

Especially with food and cosmetics is not saved with names that convey a positive image. There is thrown around with the unprotected expression "regional", where long transport routes are behind it. Other producers adorn their products with adjectives such as "natural" or "sensitive," suggesting attributes that are far from reality. Because such terms are often no more than an advertising slogan.

Coca-Cola recently launched the "Smartwater". The mineral water is sold as "inspired by clouds" expensive - without any added value. For this, the company took home the "Golden Puff 2018", a prize for the boldest advertising slogans initiated by the organization foodwatch, "Coca-Cola operates brash consumer rip-offs with the staple number one. In order to pull the money out of the consumer's pocket, Coca-Cola has come up with an outrageous processing method that sounds scientific but completely nonsensical. The 'Smartwater' is just a stale water, sold at a high price, "says Sophie Unger of foodwatch. Other windbag winners in recent years included the drinking yoghurt Actimel by Danone, Ferrero's milk slices, Hipp's instant tea for children and a baby biscuit from Alete. What they have in common is that they suggest something other than what they actually bring.

"The current labeling rules make it difficult for consumers to look through the supermarket and allow manufacturers to trick and fool quite legally. Many issues need to be addressed at EU level, such as the introduction of compulsory nutrition labeling in traffic light colors on the front of food packaging. The governments of France and Belgium have the consumer-friendly Nutri scoreLabeling already introduced at national level. With the Nutri-Score, consumers can see at a glance how balanced a product is. As well advertised sugar bombs would thus automatically unmasked, "said Sarah homes of foodwatch. "You can trust the protected term" organic "(but only for food!). If a food carries the terms "organic" or "organic" on the packaging, then it must have been produced to biostandard, "says Martin Wildenberg of Global 2000.

The tricks of the cosmetics manufacturer

Too often, the consumer is also led by the cosmetics industry by the nose. A "100% natural lavender oil" product often contains just a drop of the high quality fabric. Nevertheless, it is promoted strikingly. However, a look at the list of ingredients (INCI) usually brings out the truth - even if only half the truth, more on that later. For example, in a shower gel containing "100% natural olive", the ingredient olive oil can be found on 18. Place the ingredients ranked by quantity, followed only by fragrances and dyes as well as preservatives. Even microplastics is more represented in terms of quantity. Specifically, the product contains less than 0,5 percent of olive oil. "The word 'with' is to be treated with caution. Because just because it is advertised "with a certain ingredient", the product is far from better. After all, it does not make a bold statement about what else is inside - for example, preservatives, "says Willi Luger, founder and managing director of the natural cosmetics company CulumNatura.

Basically, all ingredients of cosmetic products are listed on the INCI list. Those containing more than one percent must also be ranked by weight. If the most advertised ingredient is at the bottom of the list, it can be assumed that these are (very) small amounts that are in the product. But now to the half truth: If less than one percent of an ingredient contained, they must be strung together not according to their weight. This means that the ingredients, which are less than one percent, can be added to any of those of which more is included. For example, a jojoba oil that contains only 0,5 percent may be higher up in the list than, for example, a paraben that contains 0,99 percent. This gives the false impression that paraben contains less than precious oil.

But the tricks go even further: "Often, several different preservatives are mixed into the product. This means that the product has more ingredients overall, but only a small proportion of the individual preservatives has to be specified so that the preservatives migrate as far down the INCI list as possible, "explains Luger. This is how consumers are led astray and they often resort to the wrong product. This becomes clear in the term "sensitive". We trust that "sensitive" cosmetics are suitable for sensitive skin. But: "Sensitive - this is nothing but an advertising slogan, without statement and without substance," says about the toxicologist Marike Kolossa of the German Federal Environmental Agency SWR, who has tested in a consumer magazine numerous "sensitive" creams and lotions and came to the conclusion that "sensitive" cosmetics can often harm the skin more than it benefits. Luger: "I do not think that this problem will be solved too soon by laws. That's why it's even more important to make consumers aware of the topic. "

Greenwashing problem

For many products, sustainability is also promoted, ultimately without any real improvements for the environment. For example, electricity providers who like to advertise with "green electricity", but overall still have a negative eco-balance. Or the "eco tank" of a heating oil company against which Global 2000 filed a complaint with the advertising agency. Without success, because the advertising agency declared as not responsible. "The government should finally ensure that consumers in Austria can take action against greenwashing or create conditions that effectively protect them against this type of fraud. As is so often the case, measures based on voluntary agreements do not protect enough, "says Martin Wildenberg. In addition, this approach also penalizes those companies that act innovatively and fairly, as they have to accept a massive competitive disadvantage. That's too bad for the business location, according to Wildenberg. He advises: "Be attentive - do not believe in advertising! Never."

Photo / Video: Foodwatch.