Healthy Lies, Green Deceit:

From Diet Fads to Climate Fibs - It’s the Same Old Story

Think greenwashing is new? It's just healthwashing with a fresh coat of paint.

Prior to the 1960s, most people prepared their food from scratch with basic ingredients. There was no demand for food labels because people knew what they were eating.

However, as processed food entered the market, that clarity disappeared. Consumers started asking questions: What’s actually in this? Is it good for me? 

In response, the food industry didn’t just provide information—it crafted a narrative, often designed to sound healthy, whether or not it actually was. Health claims started to flood the market with claims of “low fat”, “heart-healthy”, and “all-natural”.  However, many were misleading or lacked evidence or information to support them: healthwashing had taken off!

In 1973, to prevent misleading claims, the Supreme Court ruled that all companies claiming health benefits were required to report the nutritional facts of their products too. By 1990 the FDA had mandated that food companies include standardised nutritional facts panels on their products.

Today, disclosure of nutritional data is mandatory in >95 countries. A recent study by the USDA suggests that three of four adults regularly use nutrition facts labels to inform their food purchasing choices.

The worlds’ first eco-label was launched in 1978 the Blue Angel label. The potential for eco-labels to drive better consumer choices was recognised in the widely acclaimed “Brundtland Report” 1987! A survey by the European Commission in 2023 found that more than 70% of respondents say the environmental impact of products is important to them when making a purchasing decision. Consumer NZ’s Sentiment Tracker found that almost half of New Zealanders keep sustainability in mind when shopping for groceries, and PAN’s own survey at Queenstown Airport found that 68% of respondents were concerned about the environment.

Yet in 2025, the market is still rife with greenwashing claims. A study commissioned by the EU found that 53% of green claims on products and services make vague, misleading, or unfounded claims, and 40% have absolutely no supporting evidence. In a global survey of >1,000 executives, 68% admitted to being guilty of greenwashing. Results of a Consumer NZ investigation suggest similar levels of greenwashing here.  

If only there were nutrition facts for sustainability that displayed the impacts of our products on the planet’s health! You might even call these….

Planetary Facts