Our mission

We don’t decide what we eat. The consumers in Europe watch helplessly as the food industry dictates the rules of the game to policymakers. 

The promises made under European food law to effectively protect consumers from unsafe food and fraud aren’t worth the paper they’re written on. Lobbyists determine what ends up on our plates – and what we are allowed to know about our food. Important information is withheld from us. Many of the deceptive practices used against us are even perfectly legal; well-known legal loopholes are not being closed, even after they’ve resulted in numerous cases of food contamination or deception and fraud in the food industry.

And last but not least, Europe’s policies and business practices contribute to hunger in other parts of the world – and even make it impossible for many people in industrialised countries to afford a healthy, balanced diet.

foodwatch wants to change all that!

The rules and laws in Europe and the EU Member States that apply to our food must genuinely put the interests of consumers first. Because food matters to all of us. This public interest must be given priority over all individual interests of the food industry. It is therefore crucial that we, consumers, band together and fight for our rights. 

• Consumers have a right to adequate food! foodwatch wants a society in which every person can afford adequate food and a healthy, balanced diet. The business practices in one part of the world should not be allowed to cause hunger or poverty in other parts of the world. 
• Consumers have a right to healthy products! foodwatch is calling for safe food products – and this safety must be guaranteed for all products, regardless of their price. Consumers must be able to trust that they will not be exposed to avoidable health risks. Because, in the supermarket, we have no way of recognising hazards like toxic substances in food. It is up to the companies to guarantee food safety – policymakers and government agencies must enforce this requirement. 
• Consumers have a right to transparent information! foodwatch does not agree that, when shopping, consumers should have to conduct research like food detectives in order to figure out what’s in our food. We want packages with information that makes it easy to understand what the product contains. And we should be able to trust that this information is truthful and comprehensible. It’s time that the information obligations of companies and government agencies be geared to the needs of consumers.

How foodwatch works

foodwatch exposes the legislative shortcomings and food industry practices that are detrimental to the interests of consumers. foodwatch mobilises people and puts policymakers and companies under pressure to take action. As a consumer rights organisation, foodwatch is independent of governments, the EU and the food industry. We are financed through membership fees and donations. We stand for an open society; we are opposed to any form of racism and discrimination against individuals or groups of individuals and we distance ourselves from radical/extremist groups.

foodwatch is an organisation run by consumers for consumers in Europe!