Ethical chocolate brand Tony’s Chocolonely’s Open Chain logo is under review following the rollout of anti-greenwashing rules in the EU, The Grocer can reveal.
The EU’s Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (EmpCo) Directive, which came into force on 27 September, is designed to clamp down on greenwashing and protect consumers from misleading environmental claims.
It prohibits brands supplying products to the EU from making generic environmental claims such as “eco-friendly”, “green” and “sustainable” unless they are substantiated with verifiable evidence.
The legislation also prohibits self-made labels that imply environmental or social performance, unless they are based on a certification scheme or established by a public authority.
As a result, the new EmpCo requirements “affect how the Tony’s Open Chain logo can be used on pack”, a spokesperson for the Dutch chocolate challenger told The Grocer.
The company was therefore “reviewing and adapting the use of the Tony’s Open Chain button to ensure we comply with the new requirements”, they added.
Launched in 2019 by Tony’s Chocolonely, Tony’s Open Chain is a cocoa sourcing initiative designed to help cocoa farmers earn a living income, eradicate child labour and tackle deforestation.
The Open Chain logo currently appears across all Tony’s packaging, as well as on products from several of its ‘Mission Allies’, including Waitrose, Ben & Jerry’s and Pip & Nut. Just last week, Waitrose announced plans to expand the number of seasonal chocolate lines it sources via Tony’s Open Chain.
Trust and accountability for consumers
Tony’s is also reviewing its sustainability communications across its website, social media and marketing campaigns to ensure they meet the new requirements.
“We welcome EmpCo and believe it is an important step towards greater trust and accountability for consumers,” the spokesperson said. “EmpCo aligns with Tony’s belief that sustainability claims should be transparent, evidence-based, and independently verified.”
They added: “We have been preparing for EmpCo well before the legislation came into force and have proactively reviewed our consumer-facing sustainability communications across all channels.
“The review process was already at an advanced stage before the new rules took effect and will continue as the requirements are implemented.”
When approached by The Grocer, Charlie Martin, CEO of The Anti-Greenwash Charter, said the EmpCo rollout would make it harder for food and drink brands to communicate sustainability credentials, particularly on pack.
“The big challenge for food and drink brands is how to translate detailed, substantiated claims into short-form marketing and on-pack messaging, where space is limited,” he said.
“The risk is that brands become so worried about falling foul of regulation that they stop communicating about sustainability altogether.”
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