“100% la scelta naturale”, translated into English “100% the natural choice.” With this promise ends the Frosta frozen food commercial. And it is especially this phrase that led us to give a red light to the company’s communication of its commitment to the environment. Because it is precisely these terms that the European Green Claims Directive condemns because they are considered generic and misleading to consumers (a directive that, as we have explained in several articles in The Washing News, was approved in 2024 and will be effective in 2026).
“Nature-friendly,” ‘environmentally friendly,’ ‘green,’ ‘eco-friendly,’ ‘eco-friendly,’ ”biodegradable.” These are some of the banned terms listed in the directive.
“100% the natural choice” seems to us to fit right into the list. And it is not the only generic term that appears on Frosta frozen food packaging, where it also states that the packaging is “more sustainable”-another word for the European Commission to avoid.
The Frosta commercial: a generic promise
In Frosta frozen food commercials, as father and daughter enjoy fishballs (to cite one of the scenes shown in the company’s advertisements), signs scroll by that provide various information about the ingredients. We discover, for example, that the cod fillets are “MSC certified,” that the cream “has no stabilizers,” that the eggs come from “free-range farms,” and that the flour is “without treatment agents.” Interesting information, but that does not justify the final phrase: “100% the natural choice,” which is not accompanied by any explanation.
On the packaging: other terms that will be banned
On the Frosta frozen food packages we can find some more information about this “natural choice.” The wording also appears on the product at the supermarket, but underneath it reads “no additives added.” At least it is specified, though not exhaustively, what is meant by “natural.” But we remain convinced that for the 2024/825/EU green claims directive, these terms are considered too vague and cannot be used.
The packaging also reads “new more sustainable envelope.” Delving deeper on the Frosta.it website, we find that this is a new feature introduced by the company: the packaging is recyclable with paper. So we wonder: why not write that on the label instead of using generic terms like “sustainable”?
Certified sustainable fishing
On Frosta frozen food packages we also read that the fish sold has an MSC certification for sustainable fishing. We have no objection to this, because, the European Green Claims Directive allows companies to disclose their certifications only if they are “based on a system established by public authorities” or if the certifications are subject to “third-party verification,” with “regular monitoring of compliance with basic requirements.”
In this case, Frosta relies on the MSC Sustainable Fisheries Certification Standard, which, the website says, “is based on three core principles (in turn broken down into 74 items – scoring issues – grouped into 28 performance indicators) that every fishery must meet to be considered sustainable:
- healthy fish populations: the fishery must leave enough resources in the sea for the population to reproduce and the fishery to continue over time;
- minimized impact of fishing: fishing must be conducted in a way that minimizes its impact, allowing marine plants and animals to thrive;
- effective fisheries management: fisheries must be managed responsibly and in accordance with applicable laws so that they can adapt to change.”
On Frosta frozen food packages we also read that the fish sold has an MSC certification for sustainable fishing. We have no objection to this because, the European green claims directive allows companies to disclose their certifications only if they are “based on a system established by public authorities” or
The MSC certification system is based on a triangulation of three entities, to ensure maximum reliability and authority:
- MSC: is the certifying body that established the reference standard;
- CABs (Conformity Assessment Bodies), are the bodies to which fishing companies apply to be certified. They assess compliance with the Standards for Sustainable Fisheries and Supply Chains. They are independent of MSC and the fishing company.
- Assurance Services International (ASI) is the external auditing body.
That is, a fishing company goes to a Cab that verifies that it has the requirements for sustainable fishing according to the MSC Standards. Asi then performs the periodic checks.
We thus verified the formal correctness of the certification exhibited by Frosta for sustainable fishing. However, we would like to make it clear that, as a media outlet, we do not in any way wish to express substantive opinions about sustainable fishing or fishing in general.
