03 March 2008, 15:15 PM

  • Food and drink products that have ethical links are increasingly being bought by UK consumers, new research has suggested.

A new report from Nielsen calculated the top 100 grocery brands for the year ahead and found customers are turning towards companies that display concern for the environment, Talking Retail reports.

Brands such as Innocent performed well, as did Walkers crisps, which displays the carbon footprint of the product on the packaging.

“The leading brands are incorporating concerns for the environment in their sourcing, new product development and packing and distribution plans,” Fiona Briggs, the report editor, said.

Managing director of Nielsen UK, Justin Sargent, added, “The grocery industry has indeed risen to the challenge of ethical consumerism.” The aim to reduce the use of plastic bags is one example of this, he stated.