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#28 |
Offering people the power of choice that will change the society - "OKOTEST", the German product testing magazine |
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# Real information is hard to come by |
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Although you might feel that you
would like to know as much as possible about the foods you
purchase, do you find yourself not being
able to decide because there are just too many products out there? Even though food products are obliged to have labels indicating ingredients, we rarely have information about what each ingredient mean and the effects it will have on our bodies. |
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One day I went to purchase some herbal tea. Until then I had thought that all herbal teas were more or less the same. One out of the 7 there was introduces as "no synthetic sweeteners used". If this product went to extent of writing that on the label, I wondered whether the other products actually contained synthetic sweeteners. But when I looked at the labels of the other 6 products, all it said was "Ingredient: Herbs". When I asked the store staff I learned that manufacturers are not obligated to indicate the use of synthetic sweeteners, but 5 of the 6 did contain artificial sweeteners. Although there was no obligation to provide such information, I was taken aback then because I realized that if we believe the information written on labels, we cannot get our hands on the true and real information. |
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Aside from the advertisements of companies that their products are "environmentally friendly!" and "healthy", isn't there any guiding principles for choosing products that take the environment and our bodies into consideration? I found clues to such questions in Europe. |
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# Germany, where an ecological lifestyle is easily accessible |
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This time I went to Frankfurt located in the western region of Germany. It is known as the home town of Goethe, the classical poet of Germany. Most towns in Europe have myriads of historical architectures; however, because Frankfurt was mostly destroyed during the Second World War, it is marked with a modern cityscape. It is also renowned as a city of finance; thus there are many Japanese companies that have branch offices in Frankfurt. In comparison with the 8-million population of Tokyo's 23 wards, Frankfurt's population is only 60,000 or so, yet it is an international city with one of the greatest airports in Europe receiving direct flights from all over the world. By the way, Germany is now well known as a country founded on environmental conservation. Certainly, it does meet its reputation as an environmentally conscious country; there are many ecological aspects in the lifestyles of the people in Germany. However, it is not as though the people in Germany lead a special lifestyle. For example, it's not as though everyone compensates their energy use by employing solar power generation, and there are many cars in Germany. But in comparison to Japan, we notice that there is a larger share of products that are more environment and body conscious available such as food products, daily goods and general merchandize, and such products have saturated the people's daily lives. |
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The velotaxis may be found in the city center (right) and the old cityscape of Frankfurt reproduced after the Second World War (left, center). |
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The outdoor market where we may find seasonal vegetables and fruits is held every day. |
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Fair trade franchise with more stores in other cities (left)/Chic recycle shop (center)/Cheese shop which sells traditional German and foreign cheeses (right) |
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For example, "Basic bio for all", a super market located in Frankfurt's city-center sells organic vegetables, bread, snacks, detergent, cosmetics and toys. There are many more organic and healthy food products than we can find in Japan, and the prices compared to other products are only slightly more expensive. Anyone, not only people who are health and environment conscious, come to shop there. Even recycling isn't something special in Frankfurt; it is a part of life. |
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The bio super market, "Basic bio for all", has as much floor space as ordinary super markets. Organic vegetables sold by measure, food products and daily sundries may be found here. I wish there were many bio super markets in Japan! |
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What is that box shown on the left side of the photograph?! It isn't a trash can! It is a clothes recycling box. When you move or buy new clothes and have clothes you don't wear anymore, instead of throwing them away, it is customary for people in Frankfurt to place them in these recycle boxes. Through the Red Cross the clothes gathered are put to use in developing countries. The boxes found all over town are very accessible entry point to recycling. |
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It looks like a trash can from far away. |
But it is a big entrance for our old clothing. |
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The shoe boxes work the same way. Instead of throwing your shoes away, you just place them in the boxes found in front of shoe stores. We can find various gimmicks in town that makes an environmentally-conscious lifestyle very convenient. |
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I found shoe recycle boxes in front of a shoe stores. |
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# "OKOTEST", the means of knowing-well the effects on the body and the environment |
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There is a magazine called "OKOTEST". It was started by a few journalists back in 1985 as a magazine concentrating exclusively on nature and effects on the environment, and now, it is said that 1 in every 10 Germans read this magazine which evaluates products for its effect on our bodies and the environment. I paid a visit to the OKOTEST's editorial department, which has an office in Frankfurt, where I was able to speak with the deputy editor Ms. Regine Cejka. |
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The editorial department has every magazine from 20 years ago on exhibit. We can see the change in the design of the cover page and the featured themes. |
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| Ms. Regine Cejka, deputy editor, who has been involved with the editing of the magazine for nearly 20 years. |
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Although there are annuals and special editions of the OKOTEST, the monthly editions are the most widely known. Each month, 3, 4 products and services in the 6 following categories are selected - "foods and beverages", "health and fitness", "cosmetics and fashion", "children and families", "leisure and technology", "housing and homes", and "money and law". Each product is tested against ten, twenty products of various manufacturers, and the evaluation results are published in the magazine. For example, in one edition, tomato ketchup and cheese was introduced in the "foods and beverages" category, yoga mats in the "health and fitness" category, nail polish and shampoos and conditioners in the "cosmetics and fashion" category, baby foods and pacifiers in the "children and families" category, bicycle handles in the "leisure and technology", wall paper and paints in the "housing and homes" category, and finally life insurance services in the "money and law" category; a
broad range of products that are a part of our daily lives
are examined. Moreover, we can't forget the featured articles, which are one of the first to discuss society's topical issues. For example, when I visited their offices, a chicken which had contracted bird flue was found in Germany, and apprehension about poultry and eggs was on the rise. So OKOTEST immediately published test results, evaluation and a featured article on poultry and eggs in the following month's edition in April. |
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| Monthly editions and 20th anniversary edition. The prize offered to the lucky reader in the 20th anniversary edition was a Prius! |
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OKOTEST is equals about 500 yen; they
are sold not only in book stores, but they can also be readily
found in super markets and kiosks. It has features of "Newsweek" and "Lettuce Club" magazines. We can see its ingenuity also in the plentiful use of bold contrasting colors and photographs in the current and timely featured articles and columns with day to day useful tips, the humor in the text, and the volume maintained at a legible level. Although it is a fun read, the information it introduces is also quite serious. In 20 years of its history OKOTEST has evolved into an existence that many a times called safety into question faster than governments, established standards of safety, made government lift its heavy feet, changed people's consciousness, and influenced on a company's product development. |
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Accessible OKOTEST found not only in book stores, super markets and kiosks. On the left is a special edition focusing purely on test results on cosmetic products. Beauty is one of the most popular themes in Germany. On the right is the "Happy Aging" special edition. |
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By the way, there is another way you can tell what products have been well evaluated without reading OKOTEST. That is the "Sehr Gut = Very Good" mark. Products that have been determined by OKOTEST as "Very Good" are given the option to bear a special mark. Sehr Gut mark which has been placed on over 2000 products has become a brand that guarantees that such products are conscious about our bodies and the environment. Companies are actively paying the registration fee and bearing this mark. When I asked people in town, many said, "I only choose products with the Sehr Gut mark" (man in 30s), "If I can't decide between products, I choose the one with the Sehr Gut mark, and I also browse through OKOTEST"(Japanese woman in 20s living in Germany). Nowadays, OKOTEST which has gained the support of the consumers, is frequently asked by companies to test their products. Moreover, companies that did not receive the Sehr Gut evaluation often voluntarily improve their products and ask for retesting. Therefore OKOTEST also publishes information about product improvements every month. |
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Butter (left), sanitary napkins (center), and cosmetics (right) with the Sehr Gut mark were sold. |
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This is the Sehr Gut mark. The published date and theme is indicated |
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+ How are toothpastes tested? |
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Let me reproduce here, the structure of a page from the OKOTEST. |
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1) Determine a theme
At the weekly meeting with the editorial manager, editor and consumer adviser the theme for the next edition is determined. It could be something seasonal as school bags, or topical as the measures against the bird flue, as well as daily sundries for which testing is regularly repeated. For example, let us say we decide that toothpaste will be the theme for the "health and fitness" category.
2) Define the testing criteria
Although toothpaste is frequently tested, OKOTEST still carefully conducts research each time. The ingredients and harmful substances that will be tested are thoroughly examined, and testing criteria are developed taking into consideration not only the safety standards of the country, but also various international standards from EU and North America.
3) Selecting and shopping for products
Then OKOTEST researches what kind of manufacturers and brands of the thematic product there are in the market. It researches what
the new products are, what products are best sellers, and which manufacturer
has the power to influence the market, etc. Then 5 each of the products to be tested are purchased. But finding 5 of a kind is not guaranteed so sometimes it is difficult! Of the 5 purchased, 4 are sent to various testing laboratories and one is stored at the editorial department as evidence in case of lawsuits.
4) Request labs to conduct tests
When OKOTEST has determined the testing criteria and method, it
assigns such research to independent testing labs. There are approximately 5 or 6 testing labs in and out of the country.
5) Create evaluation standards based on test results
When OKOTEST receives results from the labs, the evaluation of products is determined through exchanging of views among the editorial department and independent specialists. Reference
is made to the latest research results for the constituents contained and
international standards; the OKOTEST standards are almost always stricter
than those set forth by the German government. The test results are evaluated in 6 levels. These six levels -"Very Good", "Good", "Satisfactory", "Sufficient", "Insufficient", and "Not Acceptable" - are similar to school report cards, a familiar way of evaluating.
6) Confirm with each company, retest
The testing results are sent to the companies and approval to publish such results is requested. If there are any unsatisfactory results, OKOTEST conducts retests at its own cost. If companies do not respond within a certain period, they will be deemed to have approved with their silence, and the results will be published. At times there are lawsuits, but OKOTEST almost never lose.
7) Magazine publication |
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In one edition, toothpaste has been tested; 6 types for healthy teeth, 10 types for sensitive teeth and 10 types of antibacterial toothpaste. The tests results for the 26 types of toothpaste yielded 5 "Very Good" marks, 12 "Good, Satisfactory, Sufficient" and all others received lower marks. The 2 page evaluation provides detailed information about substances the consumers did not know much about, such as "although each substance met national standards, the reality is that no consideration has been made for their combined effects", "for every kilogram of the toothpaste, there are 1000 Cu 1500 mg of fluorine but because it stains or has other problems for growing children's teeth, use is not recommended for children under 12", "there were 13 types of products which contained aiding substance PEG/PEG derivatives for which there are growing concerns about the effects it may have on our bodies", and "half contained substances found in foam soaps". These test results contain information that makes us want to check to see if such substances are contained in the toothpaste we use. Also, not only the toothpaste ingredients, but the burden its packaging has on the environment is also one of the research criteria. The test results make us realize that "Consumers do not receive information about what kind of substances is contained and what possible effects they will have. It is extremely difficult to choose products that are good for our bodies and the environment when artificial substances and products have increased so much" (according to associate editor Ms. Cejka). This is the method in which over 3000 themes and 100,000 types of product test results have been introduced in the magazine.
I will introduce an example of the evaluation for the 10 types of sensitive toothpaste. |
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Meaning of each evaluation: Sehr Gut = Very Good, Gut = Good, Befriedigend = Satisfactory, Ausreichend = Sufficient, Mangelhaft = Insufficient, Ungenugend = Unacceptable |
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Toothpastes tested
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Data source: OKOTEST 2006 Annual Edition |
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+ Scientific assessment and objectivity |
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There are other magazines besides OKOTEST that consumers may reference to make purchases, such as "TEST". In Japan too there are magazines that introduce products from the consumer's perspective. For example, if we look through the "Kurashi-No-Techo" we will find the shopping guide section, where it looks into what products are actually useful or good from the "Kurashi-No-Techo's" point of view. In the April/May 2006 edition, it introduced "housing insurance and welfare", "ball point pen with which you can write the world's finest lines", and "easy to use carry-along chopsticks"; what is noteworthy is that it also offers information about usability and how the products were made. Moreover, "eyeco", a mail-order magazine that offers information about numerous daily products that have been favorably evaluated in various countries and "eyeco" has selected those products that are "kind to people and the environment". |
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Of course every magazine comes in handy from the point of view that they offer information to help consumers make choices, but OKOTEST has characteristics that are unique to it. |
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Choosing themes
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OKOTEST selects from a broad range of themes useful for consumers' various activities, such as foods, miscellaneous goods, housing materials, and financial products to mention a few. |
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By quickly featuring themes that are topical, OKOTEST continues to deliver the latest and accurate wisdom to its readers. (i.e. The bird flue and the chicken test, information about infectious diseases.) |
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Unbiased selection of products for testing. OKOTEST examines products from those that are eco-friendly, to accessible products found in super markets and kiosks. |
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Testing criteria
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OKOTEST provides unbiased information by scientifically analyzing ingredients and constituents of the packaging and products rather than appearances and usefulness, |
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OKOTEST also ensures objectivity by consigning the testing to independent specialized organizations. |
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It also sets forth even stricter evaluation standards by comparison with not only national but international standards. |
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Magazine content, others
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Test results are compared in a list so consumers may easily compare products at a glance. |
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If product improvements are made by companies such information are introduced in the "improvement information" section. |
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Magazine articles and layout is such that it generously uses photographs, diagrams, and color to draw readers' attention. |
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OKOTEST issues Sehr Gut marks to place on products to assist consumers when selecting products. |
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+ Florida made and German made fruit juices are the same? |
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The unique characteristics of OKOTEST are the objective data obtained from thorough tests conducted and such methods of specification. Moreover, another key characteristic is that the Sehr Gut mark makes it easier for general consumers to choose products. However, a few questions arise when looking at product comparisons and comparing the Sehr Gut products in the super markets. |
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... Food miles are not taken into consideration
Food mileage is the distance that the food product has traveled; for example, at OKOTEST if ingredients in both fruit juice from Florida and Germany are "Very Good", it is rated as Sehr Gut without consideration for the distance such products have to be shipped. If we are to really look at the effects on the environment and society, we should also take CO2 emissions and the fuel energy necessary for transportation of such foods into consideration as well.
Food-mileage campaign http://www.food-mileage.com/ (In Japanese) |
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... Information about manufactures are not taken into consideration
In 1988, the book, "Shopping for a better world", was published in the U.S. and drew much attention. This book does not evaluate products; rather it evaluates a company's corporate social responsibility, and provides ratings information to consumers. Activities such as purchasing and investments are thought to be, in a way, offering support to companies. So in other words, consumers may support or critique companies by "buycotting" (assisting companies by purchasing) and "boycotting" (not purchasing and not supporting). In this respect, OKOTEST does not include CSR in its evaluation standards. Therefore, the products and services of companies who do not fulfill their social responsibility are at times also evaluated as being "Very Good", and many people may feel that they want to purchase these products and services. For example, cosmetic products made from natural materials that have been evaluated as "Very Good" may have destructive effects on the local environment when extracting the necessary raw materials. But such information is not reflected in the evaluation chart.
In order to choose a product or service that is truly good for our bodies and the environment, each one of us need to reference magazines like OKOTEST but also must have the consciousness to think about the impact our choices may have from various aspects. |
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# Yet we still would like to have a OKOTEST in Japan
- to offer the power of choice that will change the society |
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It may be close to being impossible for consumers to learn about each and every ingredient in food products and sundries. Although there are other information I would like to see added like food mileage and CSR, I frequently realized during my stay in Germany that OKOTEST, which evaluates and offers information obtained through objective examinations to the consumers, does provide assistance to consumers "who want to select better products for their bodies and the environment". Even if you don't understand the language, you can select with ease trust worthy products based on unwavering standards without going to natural or health food stores! "The role of OKOTEST is to provide accurate information and to lead people. Our dream is to have rows and rows of shelves with Sehr Gut products" said Ms. Cejka. |
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If we as consumers can obtain information about things that enter and come in contact with our bodies, we will be able to select products and services that we really want. And if the power of selection of each and every one of us becomes nurtured through information that will give rise to one voice, a power that will move the world. And for this purpose, I hope to have a reassuring presence like "OKOTEST" in Japan. |
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The building in which the OKOTEST editorial department is covered with solar panels; it is an eco house with numerous spaces which take the ecosystem and circulation into consideration. There are NGOs like Oxfam as well as law firms and cafes within the building. |
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There is plenty of vegetation within the building and a small stream flows through it; it reminded me of the basement research lab in the animation, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. |
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| Report & Photographs Asaka Barsley, Think the Earth Project |
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