Foodwatch is a European advocacy group that focuses on protecting consumer rights[1] as they pertain to food quality.[2] The organization was founded in October 2002 in Berlin by former Greenpeace executive director Thilo Bode.[3][4] As of 2020, the organization is active in Germany, the Netherlands, France and Austria.[5] Foodwatch International, while handled as a separate unit, is legally a part of the German foodwatch association.[6]

Foodwatch
Founded2002
FounderThilo Bode
FocusConsumer rights
Location
Area served
Europe
Key people
Jörg Rohwedder, president
Websitewww.foodwatch.eu

In 2008, the organization reported that uranium concentrations in German tap water exceeded the permitted levels.[7]

An important aspect of Foodwatch's activities consists of investigating manufacturer claims in marketing campaigns and on packaging. Each year Foodwatch delivers the Goldener Windbeutel (German)/Gouden Windei (Dutch), given to the product whose packaging is the most misleading, as voted on by visitors to the website. In 2009 the award went to Actimel.[8] In the 2012 campaign, Foodwatch criticized Becel pro-active, a Unilever product which is supposed to lower the risk of coronary disease. Foodwatch demanded Unilever stop selling the product,[9] leading to considerable scrutiny of the product and countercriticism by the manufacturer.[10]

References

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  1. ^ A German Battle over Food Labeling 18/04/2008 Business Week Magazine
  2. ^ Foodwatch: ¡ojo al bife! 18/10/2002 Deutsche Welle (in Spanish)
  3. ^ Greenpeace. Cambio de rumbo El Mundo (in Spanish)
  4. ^ El escándalo del nitrofeno vuelve a surgir en Alemania Archived 2011-07-22 at the Wayback Machine 06/11/2002 Consumer (in Spanish)
  5. ^ "About us". Foodwatch. Retrieved 2020-12-05.
  6. ^ "Our team". Foodwatch. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
  7. ^ Denuncian que el agua del grifo en Alemania contiene más uranio de lo permitido 05/08/2008 El Mundo (in Spanish)
  8. ^ Actimel: Premio a la mentira publicitaria más insolente 29/03/2009 Cantabria Liberal (in Spanish)
  9. ^ "Foodwatch eist verkoopstop Becel pro-activ via supermarkt". Algemeen Dagblad. 2 March 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  10. ^ Salehy, Nadine al (5 March 2012). "Kritiek Foodwatch op Becel pro-activ - VMT: Alles voor de foodprofessional". VMT. Archived from the original on 8 May 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
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