01 Mar 2010 03:03:11

New tool released to calculate greenness of food products

A new tool has been released that will allow people to measure the environmental cost of their food, as well as the nutritional value.

Carbonostics has released an updated version of its lifecycle management tool, which can determine the 'hotspots' in the food production process.

According to the company, the newly enhanced version features end-of-life calculation that takes in food and packaging materials and carbon emissions from the packaging process.

In addition, all the new information is broken down by steps in the supply chain process, meaning that more information is available than ever for calculating food choices.

The tool is suitable for small food manufacturers, retailers, public buildings and any suppliers in the food retailing sector.

A recent analysis of two studies by New Scientist, looking at green purchases, found that most consumers were easily fooled by packaging and a brand's historical reputation – meaning that they over-estimated the greenness of some products.

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