The plethora of labels on products on Dutch supermarket shelves is causing confusion and action is needed to stop companies from coming up with their own systems, according to green product advisory agency Milieu Centraal.

The government-backed group is launching a new campaign to bring more clarity to food labeling, so that consumers can be sure that the brands they choose actually represent something.

On the way to PlanetProof, Beter Leven, Cocoa Life, Harmony Overeenkomst, Dolphin Safe and Fair for Life are among the 140 labeling systems that Milieu Central has identified and included in its own register.

“Consumers don’t understand them… and that is a real shame because good labels really do contribute to greener products or better working conditions,” spokeswoman Paulien van der Geest told the Volkskrant.

Research by Wageningen University in 2022 showed that labels have little impact on behaviour and that a large part of this is down to sheer numbers.

The campaign kicks off on Thursday and as part of it, the agency has revamped its website Keurmerkenwijzer where people can check out what a label means and how reliable it is.

The register includes 14 labels for tea, coffee and chocolate, nine for eggs and 23 relating to meat.

Milieu Centraal has drawn up a list of 12 labels which it says point consumers towards products that are better for humans, animals and the environment.