Product Carbon Footprint of five selected cookie products

The investigation aims to perform a climate balance (product carbon footprint) of five selected cookie products from Griesson de Beukelaer GmbH & Co. KG along the entire life cycle of the products. A major challenge of the planned project is to identify and obtain data on the raw ingredients used in the cookie production, as for most of these basic materials, as natural aromas, cocoa paste or soya lecithin, for example, no useable data on environmental impacts is available in the relevant databases. The compilation of the PCF of the five selected cookie products takes place along the entire value chain based on the collection of real data in the sub-supply of raw materials.

Real data must firstly be recorded on pre-processed raw materials, such as cocoa liquor, liquid eggs, tapioca starch or gelling agent. Secondly, real data also have to be collected on those raw materials that are needed for such primary products, unless usable data are available in relevant databases for LCA. This applies to cocoa, tapioca, soya and sugar cane, for example.

The assessment is based on the ISO standards 14040 and 14044, which apply to the LCA methodology; the indicator measured being the "global warming potential." The global warming potential describes the contribution of anthropogenic activities to the greenhouse effect. As part of the investigation, all climate-relevant emissions are being balanced and aggregated according to their global warming potential in relation to carbon dioxide (CO2). The global warming potential is then expressed in so-called CO2-equivalents.

Basically, all climate-relevant emissions throughout the product life cycle up to disposal are recorded in the LCA. The Product Carbon Footprints are both represented as a comprehensive review and differentiated by the observed individual levels of the production chain: agriculture (including upstream supply chains for operating consumables such as fertilizers, pesticides or energy), production of precursors, transports, production of the relevant Griesson - de Beukelaer products, distribution and disposal. Above, the LCA includes sensitivity analyses to evaluate results which are particularly relevant to processes and assumptions. Not included in the analysis are the climate-relevant emissions caused by the provision of capital goods (production buildings, parking areas, machinery, etc.) and those emissions attributable to passenger transportation of employees and business trips. Neither does the LCA include shopping trips of the consumer.