Unilever is making widespread misleading sustainability claims on its food products, according to research by the Dutch consumers association Consumentenbond.

The organisation examined more than 450 products and said that 247 carried incorrect or vague environmental claims and only brands Ben & Jerry’s, Hertog IJs and the Vegetarische Slager were free of greenwashing, the Consumentenbond said.

Other well-known names, including Calvé, Hellmann’s, Knorr, Lipton, Ola and Unox, featured terms such as “sustainably grown” or “sustainable packaging” without clear proof to support them.

Manufacturers may only use such claims if they can show a product has no negative environmental impact at all — something the Consumentenbond says is virtually impossible. The group also found that Unilever often used its own invented logos to give these claims an official look. Four such misleading logos appeared on 118 products.

The Consumentenbond said it had already raised concerns with Unilever in May 2024 about claims made about Calvé peanut butter and Knorr meal kits.

In September 2024, the advertising standards authority Reclame Code Commissie sided with the Consumentenbond over Calvé peanut butter, advising Unilever to stop advertising in that way. But the company took nearly a year to adapt its packaging, and more than six months to update brand websites.

Sandra Molenaar, director of the Consumentenbond, has called on the government backed consumers authority ACM to take action.

“We have shared our research results with the ACM and want them to address offenders such as Unilever as soon as possible,” she said. “Consumers must not be misled, and trust in sustainability labels needs to be restored. Greenwashing cannot go unpunished any longer.”

Unilever told news website Nu.nl that its sustainability claims are based on its own sustainability standards as well as internationally recognised certification schemes from independent parties. The company also said it is working on “a thorough review of the sustainability statements on our packaging, websites and other communication channels”.