Quorn is embarking on a multi-million pound campaign to help consumers take a ‘Step in the Right Direction’ when it comes to sustainable food choices and the fight against climate change.

The activity, which aims to encourage consumers to understand the environmental impact of the foods they buy, is being spearheaded by a national TV ad campaign which launched last weekend. It will be supported by more than £15m sustained investment in 2020.

Three TV adverts will highlight just how easy Quorn makes it for consumers to enjoy family favourite meals that are healthy for them, their families, and the planet.

Quorn has also published carbon footprint data for more than 60% (by volume) of its top-selling products on its website, certified by the Carbon Trust. ‘Farm to Shop’ carbon footprint data will also be rolled out onto packaging throughout 2020. The company says it is the first food manufacturer to go through the Carbon Trust’s Climate Leadership Framework, to help identify a roadmap towards achieving net zero emissions.

The move comes as more than half of all UK consumers (53%, YouGov December 2018 data % of population actively reducing their meat intake) are now reducing their meat consumption, and awareness about the environmental consequences of people’s dietary choices is at its highest-ever level.

Marketing director Alex Glen said: “With more than a quarter (26%) of global emissions coming from food, this is the decade that we need to enable people to focus on how food choices impact climate change (Poore and Nemecek 2018).

“Quorn is a £200m brand, attracting new shoppers to the meat-free category, and our range of great-tasting meat free products is perfectly placed to help shoppers address this issue, delivering both health and sustainability benefits. We’re helping retailers meet the needs of the 64% of consumers who want to protect the planet for future generations, by reducing their carbon footprint (YouGov December 2018 data % of population actively reducing their meat intake).”

Glen added: “We have been proudly delivering healthy protein for a healthy planet for over 30 years and are delighted to be helping our customers, whom we know are actively trying to find ways to reduce their impact on the planet, with the introduction of our carbon footprint information.

“It’s more important than ever before to be making informed decisions about the impact that the food we’re eating has on our planet. We’re encouraging other food and drink brands to publish information about their products’ carbon footprint, too, so shoppers can make comparisons, in the same way nutrition labels help inform decisions on health.”

Carbon Trust managing director Hugh Jones said: “We are really excited to be working with Quorn to certify their product carbon footprint data and help improve communication to its customers. It’s really important that consumers have robust information to help inform their purchases and we’re pleased to be able to work with Quorn on this.”