Frozen foods company Nomad Foods has called on the food industry and regulators across Europe to consider a more comprehensive, end-to-end approach to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies, which includes food loss and waste impacts, to improve transparency for consumers and drive critical action to reduce carbon emissions.
The group recently enlisted the help of impact assessment firm PRé Sustainability, to conduct an end-to-end LCA study for 22 of Nomad Foods’ most popular products.
“Consumer demand for nutritious, high-quality, sustainable food is growing and we believe it’s vital that we find ways to provide consumers with information that helps them make informed choices and provides confidence that sustainability claims are robust and evidence-based," commented Stéfan Descheemaeker, CEO, Nomad Foods.
"To support this, we encourage the food industry, retailers and regulators to adopt a wider scope for LCAs as standard, taking the whole product life cycle into account."
Annual Sustainability Report
Nomad Foods made the call following the publication of its fifth annual sustainability report, covering the period between January to December 2021.
The report includes details of the group's progress as it reached new milestones in areas such as nutrition, with 92% of its products now considered a healthier meal choice. Net sales of healthier meal choices have increased by more than €440 million since 2017, when the company announced its nutritional commitment, the report showed.
Elsewhere, Nomad Foods increased the percentage of recyclable packaging to 90% (up from 83% in 2020) and delivered a 32% reduction in edible food waste versus its 2015 baseline.
Dow Jones Sustainability Europe Index
The group was included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Europe Index for the first time in 2021, listed in the top 14 percentile globally and as one of the top four companies in Europe within the food products industry.
The company also received a perfect score of 100 for Health and Wellbeing for the third consecutive year.
"The global momentum for climate action has never been stronger and I am incredibly proud of the progress we are making across the Nomad Foods business as we strive to bring our purpose of 'Serving the World with Better Food' to life and reach new milestones in a number of important areas such as nutrition and sourcing," Descheemaeker said.
'Eating For The Planet'
The company’s sustainability strategy, ‘Eating for the Planet’, is built around the pillars of better sourcing, better nutrition, and better operations.
The strategy outlines Nomad Foods’ ambition in each area, supported by time-bound targets. It is designed to help the business operate in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
The report shows how the company is increasingly directing its efforts in key areas through innovation and collaboration, including supporting its top 75% of suppliers by emissions, to set science-based targets by 2025.
Descheemaeker added, "With the food supply chain on course to overtake farming and land use, as the largest contributor to greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the agri-food sector, collaboration with peers, suppliers and expert partners will be vital to deliver the widespread transformation that is needed to create a more inclusive and resilient food system.
"At a time when many consumers are facing higher food and energy bills, we are also committed to providing them with great tasting, high-quality, nutritious and sustainably sourced frozen food, at a price that is affordable."
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest A-Brands news. Article by Conor Farrelly. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
