11 posts tagged with "food"

In the digital age, a beautifully bound cookbook remains a cherished object in any kitchen. But as we increasingly focus on the sustainability of the food we cook, we must also consider the sustainability of the books themselves.

The publishing industry has undergone massive globalization, with many major publishers printing heavy, full-color coffee table books and cookbooks in Asia to cut costs. This practice involves shipping thousands of heavy books across oceans, contributing significantly to global carbon emissions.

Fortunately, a growing movement of independent and conscious publishers are choosing to keep their printing presses within Europe. By utilizing FSC-certified European paper and local binding facilities, these books champion sustainable publishing.

Here are our top 5 recommendations for stunning, European-printed cookbooks that celebrate local food culture and score highly for industrial sovereignty.

When we launched the European Score, we knew that reaching a perfect 100 would be an uphill battle for most modern brands. In a world of globalized supply chains, finding a product where the company headquarters, the manufacturing plant, and every single ingredient originate from within Europe is rare.

However, "rare" does not mean "impossible."

After analyzing tens of thousands of items in our database, we have identified a select group of Hidden Gems. These are products that represent the pinnacle of European industrial sovereignty. They don't just "assemble" in Europe; they are born and bred here.

Walking through a European supermarket can feel like navigating a sea of acronyms. From the colourful Nutri-Score logo on a cereal box to the prestigious red and yellow DOP seal on a block of cheese, these labels are designed to inform us. But what do they really mean? At EU Product Score, we believe that understanding these labels is the first step toward making smarter, more conscious purchasing decisions.

This guide will demystify the most common food labels you'll encounter, explaining how they work, what they guarantee, and how they relate to our own European Score.

What we put in our shopping carts tells a story about global supply chains and local economies. To understand this better, we've analyzed the EU Product Score across the most common supermarket categories.

This deep dive reveals a clear pattern: some aisles in the supermarket are inherently more "local" than others. We'll explore the highest and lowest scoring categories to understand why, offering a new perspective on the products we see every day.

It is 07:13, the kitchen is still cold, and the machine gives you what modern Europe has trained you to expect: speed, crema, silence, control. You press one button, hear a short mechanical sigh, and believe you have bought efficiency. But the single-serve coffee ritual was never just about coffee. It was always a compact deal between aluminum, plastic, branding, logistics, and your willingness not to look too closely before the first sip.

That deal is starting to crack. As Europe moves toward the new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, the real cost of convenience is becoming harder to hide behind glossy capsules and lifestyle advertising.

It is 19:06 and your kitchen is doing that small, familiar negotiation: you want dinner to feel like care, but you do not want dinner to feel like work. So you reach for the upgrade that Europe taught the world to trust, the bottle that turns tomatoes into a meal and salad into a statement:

extra virgin olive oil.

The label promises sunlight, groves, tradition, and a country name that sounds like certainty. But in 2026, the biggest risk in your olive oil is not that it is fake. It is that it is old and you were never invited to know.

It is 18:43 in a supermarket somewhere between Brussels and Barcelona. You reach for a familiar pack of sliced cheese, the one with alpine fonts, a farmhouse sketch, and a promise of "European tradition" at a very modern discount. It feels like a safe choice.

But this is the new paradox of European shopping: the packaging tells a local story, while the product often tells a logistics story.

It is 07:11, and your kitchen is doing what Europe does best: turning routine into ritual. A mug. A spoon. A box that promises a clean start to the day. "WHOLEGRAIN" in bold letters, like a passport stamp for health.

But the modern cereal aisle is not a place where food simply sits. It is a theater where ingredients wear costumes. And "wholegrain" is one of the most profitable costumes of all.

You open a fridge door in a hurry. The tray is steamable, the label whispers “chef-inspired,” and the photo promises a quiet Tuscan evening in fifteen minutes. It feels European. It feels nearby. It feels safe.

But convenience has a passport, and it rarely shows you the stamps.

You are standing at the cheese counter, doing the small math we all pretend not to do. The wedge is the same size. The label is the same brand. The price is not. Behind the glass, nothing looks political -- and yet the shelf is now a bulletin board for Brussels and Beijing.