We improved the comparability of food life cycle assessments

We developed a scientifically validated method that allows food products’ primary function – providing nutrition – to be included in life cycle assessments (LCAs) as a basis for comparing their environmental impacts. Our LCA calculation guidelines help food industry companies harmonize their environmental assessment methods. As a result, food products’ environmental impacts can now be compared more reliably.

Traditional LCAs have overlooked a key aspect of food: its nutritional function. This has hindered meaningful comparisons of products’ environmental performance. Our practical new method addresses this gap. It simultaneously considers multiple nutrients and is based on nutrition-related functional units tailored to Finnish food culture. These can be used to compare environmental impacts across product groups such as protein sources, carbohydrate sources, vegetables, berries and fruits, as well as dairy and plant-based milk products. The method was also applied to Spanish food culture.

The NEPGa project, led by Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), was carried out in collaboration with nutrition scientists from the University of Helsinki and the University of Eastern Finland. The project received attention both nationally and internationally, and gained scientific recognition. We presented the results in six peer-reviewed articles and at several international scientific conferences. The method was also introduced to EU authorities overseeing the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) initiative. The new knowledge was used in updating the Finnish nutrition recommendations, where environmental perspectives were taken into account broadly for the first time.

We worked with several Finnish food industry companies during the project, and the method attracted interest from international actors as well. In the future, we aim to develop consumer communication tools based on the method, such as product labeling and digital services.

The Food LCA calculation guidelines developed for companies help Finnish food producers harmonize the models they use to assess the emissions and environmental impacts of their products. The guidelines are compatible with the European Commission’s Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) initiative and include new models for assessing emissions related to agricultural land use and the product consumption phase.

We also published a communication recommendation on environmental footprints, helping companies prepare for the EU’s upcoming Green Claims Directive on product environmental messaging. Through a consumer-oriented awareness campaign, we encouraged people to critically evaluate various packaging labels and environmental claims. With our policy recommendation, we also brought these insights to decision-makers, emphasizing the importance of harmonized food LCA in policymaking.

Our close collaboration with companies and other stakeholders supports fair competition in the sector. More than 30 companies, industry associations, universities, and research organizations took part in preparing the LCAFoodprint project’s guidelines. The recommendations were presented at international scientific conferences as well as major national food sector events in Finland.

Life cycle assessment of products’ environmental impacts is becoming increasingly important to companies, researchers and consumers alike. The information gained through these methods also guides political decision-making. At Luke, we continuously develop LCA methods, and the results are followed with great interest both in Finland and internationally, says Merja Saarinen, Principal Research Scientist and Project Leader of the NEPGa project.