Announcement: TealHelix initiates fresh EU endeavor focusing on eco-friendly food labeling

European Collaboration Aims to Simplify Sustainable Food Labeling

A consortium of 17 partners from 11 European countries are working together on a project called TealHelix, with the goal of rethinking the communication of sustainability-relevant information in the food sector. The project, coordinated by the University of KU Leuven in Belgium, is funded under Horizon Europe and has a budget of 6.5 million euros.

The project is focused on developing new approaches for sustainable food labeling, incorporating experiences from the "Sustainable Product Claims 2.0" project. TealHelix is exploring new ways of labeling sustainable food to address the jungle of labels, seals, and information that consumers often face.

The project partners include universities, NGOs, market research firms, marketing agencies, and GS1 Germany. GS1 Germany, a leading standardization actor with extensive experience in sustainability-related product information, acts as a consortium partner in the TealHelix project.

The project aims to make sustainable consumption more accessible, transparent, and attractive. Various new apps will support and enhance trust in sustainability labels at the point of sale (POS) through AI assistance and gamification, to be tested in six EU countries.

One of the key innovations of the project is the development of new digital solutions and labeling systems for sustainable food, using 2D-codes with the GS1 Digital Link standard. These new labeling systems will allow for dynamic and target group-specific communication of information about CO2 balance, origin, and social aspects of production, adjustable at any time.

The "Sustainable Food Compass" tool will help consumers connect their personal preferences with general environmental goals. The project will make use of digital networking and personalization to present sustainability information.

GS1 Germany, with its expertise in consumer communication at the POS, will standardize and communicate sustainability-related information along the supply chain up to the point of sale (POS). The next general assembly of TealHelix will be hosted by GS1 Germany from September 29 to 30, 2025, in Cologne.

The extensive customer and partner network of the project TealHelix can contribute to ensuring the practical transfer and scalability of project results. With the participation of organizations from 11 European countries, the project has the potential to make a significant impact on the way sustainability information is communicated in the food sector.

For more information about the project, visit www.tealhelix.eu.