Environmental claims on food supplements: what Directive 2024/825 changes
Since 27 September 2026, the EU directive against greenwashing has applied across the European Union. Eco-friendly wording, sustainability labels, carbon neutrality: here is what changes for supplement packaging, by the R&D team at Irati Production.
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- Directive (EU) 2024/825 has applied across the European Union since 27 September 2026.
- A generic environmental claim must rest on recognised excellent environmental performance.
- A sustainability label must be based on a certification scheme or set by a public authority.
- Climate neutral claims based on emissions offsetting are banned.
- In France, the transposing law is still going through Parliament, and misleading practices are already sanctioned.
An EU directive against greenwashing
Directive (EU) 2024/825, known as the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition directive, amends the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive 2005/29/EC and the Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU.
Member States had to transpose it by 27 March 2026 and apply it from 27 September 2026. It adds several environmental practices to the blacklist of commercial practices considered unfair in all circumstances.
For a supplement brand, everything is in scope: the carton, the jar, the doypack, the product page, the website and advertising. A single word, icon or label can be an environmental claim.
The four practices that affect your packaging
Among the newly banned practices, four directly concern food supplements:
- Generic environmental claims such as eco-friendly, green or sustainable, without demonstrated recognised excellent environmental performance.
- Sustainability labels that are not based on a certification scheme or set by a public authority.
- Claims of neutral or reduced climate impact based on emissions offsetting.
- A claim presented as covering the whole product when it only concerns one part, such as the packaging.
No approved list, no sell-through period
Unlike the nutrition and health claims of Regulation (EC) 1924/2006, there is no list of pre-approved environmental claims. The brand must substantiate every claim it makes, for each product and in each language.
The directive provides no sell-through period for packaging that has already been printed. A corrective sticker or a change at the next print run are options; what matters is to decide, and document, how existing stock is handled.
What about France?
France did not transpose the directive on time. The bill adapting French law to EU law was adopted by the Senate in February 2026 and its final adoption is pending. The European Commission sent France, along with 19 other Member States, a letter of formal notice on 28 May 2026.
Meanwhile, existing rules apply: the French Consumer Code sanctions misleading commercial practices, including environmental ones, and since 1 January 2022 the AGEC law has banned the terms biodegradable and environmentally friendly on products and packaging.
Good practice for your packaging
Before your next print run, the R&D team at Irati Production recommends that you:
- List every environmental claim and icon on the carton, the website and social media.
- Remove generic claims that are not backed by solid evidence.
- Specify the scope of each claim: recyclable cardboard carton, if demonstrated, rather than eco-friendly product.
- Keep an evidence file for each claim, language by language.
- Plan how printed packaging already in stock will be handled.
Your labelling, checked before production
Irati Production manufactures your food supplements and functional drinks in Saumur, France, and supports you on labelling compliance.
- Pectin-based gummies, capsules, tablets and powders
- Packed in sticks, doypacks and jars
- Review of claims and labelling
- ISO 22000 and HACCP certified, FDA registered site
- More than 10 years of private label and custom manufacturing
Our answers on environmental claims
When did Directive 2024/825 start to apply?
Directive (EU) 2024/825 has applied across the European Union since 27 September 2026. Member States had to transpose it into national law by 27 March 2026.
Can a supplement still be labelled eco-friendly?
A generic environmental claim such as eco-friendly is only allowed if the brand can demonstrate recognised excellent environmental performance. In France, the term environmentally friendly has been banned on products and packaging since 2022.
Can a food supplement be marketed as carbon neutral?
The directive bans climate neutral claims based on emissions offsetting. Only a claim about the product's actual, demonstrated impact may still be considered.
What should we do with packaging already printed?
The directive provides no sell-through period. The brand must decide and document how existing packaging is handled: corrective sticker, withdrawal or replacement at the next print run.
Can Irati Production review my supplement labelling?
Yes. Irati Production manufactures your food supplements and functional drinks in Saumur, France, and offers a claims and labelling review service before production.
The information in this article is general and does not constitute regulatory advice. Each formula undergoes a technical and regulatory feasibility study.