Nutri-Score
A voluntary front-of-pack nutrition labelling system that grades foods from A (best nutritional profile) to E (poorest) using a green-to-red colour code.
Created in France in 2017 on the initiative of the Ministry of Health and based on the work of Professor Serge Hercberg, Nutri-Score assesses food per 100 g or 100 ml by giving positive points (fruit, vegetables, fibre, protein) and negative points (energy, sugars, sodium, saturated fat). A final score between -15 and +40 determines the letter.
A fresh angle: Nutri-Score is effective for low-income households. Why? Because ultra-processed food is generally cheaper but also higher in fat and sugar. This system has a useful but little-publicised socio-economic bias: it favours products that are both inexpensive and of better nutritional quality.
Nutri-Score was harmonised at European level in 2023 through transnational governance involving 7 countries (France, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Luxembourg). It is not mandatory (voluntary adoption), which creates blank areas: some brands refuse to adopt it because they know they would get a poor score.
A trap: Nutri-Score assesses overall nutritional quality, not the absence of toxins or the degree of processing. An ultra-processed product can get an A if it is low in sugar and high in fibre. It was also overhauled in 2024/2025 to better reflect national contexts and changes in the food supply.