App identifies products that reflect sustainable values

French app My Label can scan a product's barcode and let consumers know if it meets certain criteria

Spotted: French app My Label identifies products that meet your values, making it easier for shoppers to find sustainable goods and influence producers. 

My Label is one of a growing number of apps that help shoppers decode product labels. Unlike other options on the market, however, My Label bases its recommendations on consumer preferences. 

The app allows consumers to select from 20 criteria, including environmental, social and health factors — for instance, you can ask My Label to alert you if there is palm oil in a product. The app can also flag up products from companies that pay a fair wage. 

Users scan the bar code with the app, which then informs you if the product meets your criteria. If it does, a green smiley face appears. If it does not, My Label marks it with a red emoji and recommends a similar product that does meet your criteria. The aim is to make it easier to change your own shopping habits, and to support producers who share your priorities, the company says. 

My Label is available for both Android and iOS operating systems. Using the app is free — the company makes money by sharing consumer preferences with the companies. Launched in France in April 2019, its database includes over 500,000 products. 

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