ZHAW and Betty Bossi team up for recipe evaluation

(CONNECT) The Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) and Betty Bossi, a Coop division based in Zurich and active in the kitchen utensils sector, have launched a new recipe rating system. According to a press release, Green Betty is intended to record the environmental compatibility of recipes on a five-point scale.

For the evaluation system, the total environmental impact of around 3000 recipes was automatically calculated using a life cycle assessment and categorized on a scale. According to the press release, users can use this guide to make a more conscious choice of food. The Green Betty system has a major impact in Switzerland, with the Betty Bossi website receiving 4.8 million visits every month.

The five-level scale is based on ingredients and quantities per portion. Environmental impacts such as greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, use of raw materials and energy consumption are measured.

"The scale is based on a comprehensive assessment of environmental impact, makes complex relationships understandable and shows how a diet within planetary boundaries can be implemented in everyday life," Matthias Stucki, lecturer and head of the Life Cycle Assessment research group at the ZHAW, is quoted as saying in the press release. Lars Feldmann, Managing Director of Betty Bossi, sees Green Betty as an option for making sustainable cooking visible. ce/ww