Do voluntary standards support responsible innovation implementation and reporting in industry? The case of the European food sector

Voluntary standards for product development have been signalled as a tool to support Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) in industry. They are presented with a double purpose: engaging in deliberative, reflexive processes in the early stages of the innovation process (when competitors collaborate to set product requirements that are later introduced as innovation criteria) and including various stakeholders in the innovation process. Through the analysis of seven companies in the European food industry, we look at the advantages and shortcomings of front-of-pack labels associated with voluntary standards and assess their effectiveness to support the implementation of RRI and its reporting to consumers. We close with future directions and suggest improvements to increase the value of voluntary standards as RRI reporting tools.