Implementation of the Nutri-Score

Peer-reviewed / Manuscript (original) submitted: 20. August 2021 / Revision accepted: 14. January 2022

First results and a comparison with the NOVA classification

Introduction

In order to prevent obesity and diet-related diseases, the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) introduced the National Reduction Strategy for Sugar, Fats and Salt in finished products in 2018 [1]. In addition, using easy-to-understand food labeling, the nutritional competence of consumers can be further strengthened. Specifically, it is intended to counter the fact that consumers often rate the mandatory nutritional facts table on the back of the package too difficult to read and understand and therefore rarely use it as a basis for purchasing decisions [2]. For this reason, the voluntary use of the so-called Nutri-Score has been legally permitted on packaged foods in Germany since November 2020 [3].

The Nutri-Score is a front-of-pack label (FoPL) that simply summarizes and graphically displays the nutritional quality of food [4]. For this purpose, a five-point scale from dark green (A) to dark red (E) is used to indicate whether the nutritional quality of a product is rather favorable or unfavorable compared to other products within the same category ( Figure 1) [3]. To calculate the Nutri-Score of a product, its ingredients per 100 g of food are determined and ranked according to their health impact by assigning positive or negative points [5]. Based on the British reference values for nutrient intake [6], high levels of energy, saturated fat, salt, and sugar are scored negatively, while fiber, protein, the proportion of fruits, vegetables, and nuts, and certain vegetable oils are included as positive factors in the score. ...

Abstract

Front-of-pack labels like the Nutri-Score can help consumers to compare foods within a product group in order to make a more nutritious choice. However, other dimensions of foods, such as the degree of processing, are not considered.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the labeling frequency of the Nutri-Score shortly after the legally compliant, implementation in the German food retailing sector, and to compare the nutritional composition of the food using the Nutri-Score with the degree of processing according to the NOVA classification. Of 2,333 packaged products examined 12% were labeled with a Nutri-Score at the time of data collection and showed predominantly category A and B (highest nutritional quality categories).
Classification of the food products according to NOVA showed that 100% of the products labeled with Nutri-Score C, D, or E and 41% of the products labeled A were also classified as ultra-processed.
 In order to improve food labeling with regard to the prevention of diet-related diseases, it would be useful to extend the front-of-pack-label by taking the degree of food processing into account.

Keywords: front-of-pack label, nutrition labeling, Nutri-Score, NOVA classification, ultra-processed food, degree of processing.

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