Looking for this secret label could help avoid supermarket price hikes
- Replies 4
What is the first thing you look at when shopping for groceries?
For some, they look at unit pricing. Others try to balance quality with the cost. In contrast, some people turn to sustainability to make the best possible purchasing decisions.
However, did you know that checking the logos on your grocery items could help prevent price increases?
Let’s take canned tuna, for instance.
This versatile and healthy snack is a pantry staple for many Australians who appreciate its convenience, nutritional benefits, and affordable price.
Australians are estimated to consume around 32,000 tonnes of canned tuna annually, making it one of the world’s largest per capita consumers. However, if customers don't start making more conscious choices, fish stocks will inevitably dwindle, thus driving up the price.
The labels you see on canned tuna are designed to help customers make sustainable choices when shopping for groceries, and this ensures that fish stocks remain at a healthy level.
However, a survey found that 45 per cent of consumers are confused about what they should be looking for. About 40 per cent stated they are unable to easily find sustainable items – despite most saying that they want to reduce their environmental impact.
One-third of survey participants said they feel guilty when they don’t buy an item with an eco-friendly label.
The survey, commissioned by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), uncovered that there was confusion surrounding eco-labelling. This is the same company responsible for the tiny blue seafood packaging logo with a white fish.
So, what do the logos actually mean?
Various labels are found on canned tuna, but some are insignificant since they’re not always an indication that tuna was harvested sustainably.
Having an MSC logo means that the fish you’re eating is caught in the wild and verified that it has been sourced sustainably.
For fisheries to be certified, it needs to enter an ‘assessment process’ that usually takes 12 to 18 months, during which three variables will be examined:
The MSC logo only assesses sustainable harvesting, not animal welfare. That said, the MSC is unlikely to certify a company that targets endangered species because doing so impacts sustainability which impacts stock and, thus, impacts supermarket prices.
In line with the point above, Greenpeace advises considering the following while shopping for groceries:
1. Avoid purchasing canned bluefin and bigeye tuna, as these are critically endangered.
2. Eat less yellowfin tuna, particularly if it's caught outside of Australia, since fishing levels for yellowfin tuna are dangerously high outside the country.
3. Try to buy canned tuna that’s pole and line or handline caught because this means fisheries actively try to avoid overfishing. Additionally, this method of fishing creates more jobs for local fishing communities.
The bottom line: Consumers are also responsible for ensuring products remain affordable in supermarkets.
David Ellis, the CEO of Tuna Australia, said he understands why many choose to buy cheap products without looking at sustainability practices.
‘In today's world, the cost of living is rising dramatically. Quite often, when it's your own survival at stake, you're going to just look at how you can put food on the table,’ Ellis said.
Canned tuna is not (traditionally) an expensive product. But this is due to the fact that it has suffered unsustainable fishing practices, leading many tuna species to the brink of extinction. Mr Ellis claimed that the preservation of the other species of tuna would ‘ultimately come down to consumer choices’.
‘The consumer will bring about change because as soon as a company's economic survival is threatened, they will innovate, and they will change really quickly. Unless they're threatened, they'll continue to do what they're doing,’ he explained.
Do you have any tips on how to spot sustainably-sourced products? Is this something you already knew to look for? Let us know in the comments!
For some, they look at unit pricing. Others try to balance quality with the cost. In contrast, some people turn to sustainability to make the best possible purchasing decisions.
However, did you know that checking the logos on your grocery items could help prevent price increases?
Let’s take canned tuna, for instance.
This versatile and healthy snack is a pantry staple for many Australians who appreciate its convenience, nutritional benefits, and affordable price.
Australians are estimated to consume around 32,000 tonnes of canned tuna annually, making it one of the world’s largest per capita consumers. However, if customers don't start making more conscious choices, fish stocks will inevitably dwindle, thus driving up the price.
Labels on food products can affect grocery price hikes. Credit: Towfiqu barbhuiya/Pexels
The labels you see on canned tuna are designed to help customers make sustainable choices when shopping for groceries, and this ensures that fish stocks remain at a healthy level.
However, a survey found that 45 per cent of consumers are confused about what they should be looking for. About 40 per cent stated they are unable to easily find sustainable items – despite most saying that they want to reduce their environmental impact.
One-third of survey participants said they feel guilty when they don’t buy an item with an eco-friendly label.
The survey, commissioned by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), uncovered that there was confusion surrounding eco-labelling. This is the same company responsible for the tiny blue seafood packaging logo with a white fish.
So, what do the logos actually mean?
Various labels are found on canned tuna, but some are insignificant since they’re not always an indication that tuna was harvested sustainably.
Having an MSC logo means that the fish you’re eating is caught in the wild and verified that it has been sourced sustainably.
John West Tuna cans have the MSC ecolabel on them. Credit: John West Australia
For fisheries to be certified, it needs to enter an ‘assessment process’ that usually takes 12 to 18 months, during which three variables will be examined:
- Fish stock health.
- Impact on the ecosystem.
- Robust management regime.
The MSC logo only assesses sustainable harvesting, not animal welfare. That said, the MSC is unlikely to certify a company that targets endangered species because doing so impacts sustainability which impacts stock and, thus, impacts supermarket prices.
In line with the point above, Greenpeace advises considering the following while shopping for groceries:
1. Avoid purchasing canned bluefin and bigeye tuna, as these are critically endangered.
2. Eat less yellowfin tuna, particularly if it's caught outside of Australia, since fishing levels for yellowfin tuna are dangerously high outside the country.
3. Try to buy canned tuna that’s pole and line or handline caught because this means fisheries actively try to avoid overfishing. Additionally, this method of fishing creates more jobs for local fishing communities.
The bottom line: Consumers are also responsible for ensuring products remain affordable in supermarkets.
David Ellis, the CEO of Tuna Australia, said he understands why many choose to buy cheap products without looking at sustainability practices.
‘In today's world, the cost of living is rising dramatically. Quite often, when it's your own survival at stake, you're going to just look at how you can put food on the table,’ Ellis said.
Canned tuna is not (traditionally) an expensive product. But this is due to the fact that it has suffered unsustainable fishing practices, leading many tuna species to the brink of extinction. Mr Ellis claimed that the preservation of the other species of tuna would ‘ultimately come down to consumer choices’.
‘The consumer will bring about change because as soon as a company's economic survival is threatened, they will innovate, and they will change really quickly. Unless they're threatened, they'll continue to do what they're doing,’ he explained.
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