The Nutri-Score has been officially introduced as a voluntary food choice logo in the Netherlands from 1 January 2024. And if it is up to the Consumers' Association, Foodwatch and the Central Bureau of Food Trade (CBL) lies becomes mandatory. They are in favour of the rapid introduction of the Nutri-Score in the Netherlands and are also calling for its mandatory introduction as an EU-wide food choice logo.

EU votes against

But, recently the European Commission decided at European level to shelve plans for a mandatory, EU-wide introduction of Nutri-Score not to go ahead for now. This decision was partly influenced by opposition from countries such as Italy and France, where there are concerns about the impact of the Nutri-Score on traditional products such as Parmesan cheese and salami. Nevertheless, industry parties continue to push for a possible requirement in the Netherlands. Especially Foodwatch urges.

The nutriscore gives products a score from A (dark green, most healthy) to E (red, least healthy). The aim is to give consumers at-a-glance insight into the nutritional value of products within the same category, such as breakfast cereals or ready-to-eat pizzas.

How does the Nutri-Score work?

The Nutri-Score is calculated based on an algorithm that weighs negative and positive nutritional components per 100 grams of product. Negative factors include sugar, saturated fat, salt and calories. Positive factors are protein, fibre and the proportion of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and certain oils. The difference between the positives and negatives determines the final score. Adjusted formulas apply to drinks, cheeses and high-fat products.

The Nutri-Score provides a useful tool for quick product comparison in the supermarket, but has limitations due to its focus on processed, standardisable foods and the simplistic points system per 100 grams.

A system for industrial food

The Nutri-Score was originally developed for industrial, pre-packaged foods with known recipes and nutritional values. As a result, it works well for products with multiple processed ingredients, such as breakfast cereals, snacks and dairy products. With unprocessed, artisanal or local products, however, the system is less applicable or leads to illogical results. For example, olive oil often gets a lower score (C or D), despite being widely recognised as a healthy fat.

Impact on SME food producers

For (small) SME food producers, a mandatory Nutri-Score could have significant negative consequences:

1. Administrative burden: Determining a Nutri-Score requires exact product compositions, laboratory analyses and knowledge of European directives.
2. High cost: Calculating the Nutri-Score through laboratories costs thousands of euros per product line.
3. Unfair assessment: Artisanal products such as farmhouse cheese, organic yoghurt or pure fruit juice may receive a lower score than industrially optimised variants.
4. Competitive disadvantage: Big food corporations can reformulate products and use marketing to still get favourable scores.

Nutri-Score as a consumer aid in the supermarket

In the context of supermarkets and quick purchasing decisions, Nutri-Score certainly has utility. It helps consumers make healthier choices within product groups. For instance, people more easily choose whole-grain crackers instead of white toast, or yoghurt with less sugar.

Conclusion

While Nutri-Score can be effective for industrial food in the supermarket, the system is less suitable for artisanal and local products. There is a risk that pure and minimally processed foods will score worse than highly processed products that are tuned into the algorithm.

In short, a mandatory Nutri-Score for all pre-packed products would be disproportionate for SMEs and small, artisanal producers. The Nutri-Score should therefore remain voluntary, even in the Netherlands!