Over the past two years, plant-based food consumption has grown by 49% across the EU, reaching a total sales volume of €3.6 billion.
What does certification tell consumers?
2025-05-15
Certification is becoming increasingly popular in the food industry as it not only benefits the business but also the consumer. Therefore, certification is crucial for many businesses, especially those that sell or produce food, and it’s no surprise that this importance is realized.
In 2014, Barbara Crowther of the Fairtrade Foundation said that 76% of people believed that independent third-party certification was the best way to verify the social and environmental claims of a product.
Why is certification important?
Certifications help businesses produce safer, higher-quality food that consistently meets specific requirements. Furthermore, they help consumers gain a deeper understanding of their food's supply chain, ingredients, and production methods. For example, a vegetarian label immediately tells customers that no animal ingredients of any kind were used in that particular food.
The importance of this is becoming clearer now as people begin to pay more attention to what they eat and how the food industry operates.
What can a certification certificate tell consumers?
By adding a certification label to your product, you enhance its credibility in the market. After all, certification fosters consumer trust, even if the expected effects vary by country. Secondly, thanks to external oversight, customers can trust that specific standards have been met and that processes have been audited or tested. The quality assurance provided by a certification certificate is invaluable.
With more and more people today paying attention to environmental protection, having actual certifications of sustainability or specific food production methods can increase your customers' trust in you.
What does the certification label mean?
While most consumers appreciate certified labels and feel they give them greater trust in the product, others still wonder if these certifications actually mean anything. Each certification and symbol has its own meaning—but that's not the only issue. For example, different kosher certification bodies follow different standards, meaning some are more stringent and reliable than others.
So, while certification labels are important for informing consumers about the ingredients and how a food is made, you need to choose the right certification for your product that meets your exact needs.
Certifications tell customers everything they need to know about the food they consume, which is why they are so important. They also help you gain and strengthen the trust of your target audience, so it is crucial that you choose the certification that is best for your business.
Source: London Jewish Court Kosher Department ( Kashrut Division of the London Beth Din)