You shoot, you score

Nestlé and a wide range of stakeholders are calling for Nutri-Score to become the mandatory front-of-pack nutrition labelling system across the European Union (EU).

The coalition includes consumer organisations, academics, Members of European Parliament and food industry players. The group has requested that Nutri-Score becomes mandatory in the EU.

Nutri-Score’s colour-coded system classifies food and drinks according to their nutritional profile. It gives a score ranging from A (healthier choices) to E (less healthy choices).

With the increased importance of cooking and eating at home, this simple format helps people make intuitive food choices.

Consumers need more assistance faced with the constant evolution of a food industry seeking to increase its range of products. Is Nutri-Score the answer? Simplifying the consumer’s choices for them is a great ambition, however we wouldn’t want to promote bad habits among the public with a system simplifying the good nutrition message.

I can’t help but think consumers will put products back on the shelf at the sight of the recognisable colours on pack while others would fill their baskets with considered good coloured products.

Should it motivate food and drink companies to accelerate the development of healthier products would be a good thing and be highly promoted.

That Nestlé says Nutri-Score will be used to not only help to raise the bar, it is also inviting the whole industry to join it should be taken at face value and used to the nth degree.

The truth is eating habits are very complex.

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