Consumers should be able to assess the nutritional quality of food compared to similar products at a glance: that is the purpose of the Nutri-Score on packaging. The Federal Council has now announced an information campaign on this. The trade association reacted with biting criticism.
The Federal Council wants to make the Nutri-Score food quality seal better known.
Nutrition is no longer just a private matter. A political issue is, for example, the production methods of food under keywords such as environmental protection and animal welfare, and the quality of nutrition under the heading of health protection. The OECD established this year that around half of all consumers in rich countries eat unhealthily. Unhealthy nutrition means, among other things, higher costs for the health systems. Not least because of this, politicians and authorities regard the promotion of health-conscious nutrition as a government task.
In Switzerland, the Federal Council has this month decided, to do something for the health of the population and to start an information campaign next year. He wants to make the Nutri-Score health seal, which is printed on food packaging, better known to the general public. The Nutri-Score is currently supported by the state in seven European countries. This has been the case in Switzerland since 2019.
At a glance
The Nutri-Score is not yet firmly established in the Swiss population. According to a federally ordered study of the Bern University of Applied Sciences, in a survey from autumn 2021, when asked what information they use to choose healthier foods, only 2.5 percent spontaneously named the Nutri-Score. When asked directly about the Nutri-Score, about a third stated that they were familiar with this seal and what it meant. After the logo was presented, a good two-thirds recognized it, but many did not know the meaning.
The core idea behind the Nutri-Score: It should bring nutritional information from the back of the packaging to the front in a condensed form – so that consumers can assess the nutritional content at a glance. The cause should also motivate manufacturers to make their products healthier. The five-level grading scale is highlighted with traffic light colors and ranges from A to E (see image). This simplifies things for consumers in a hurry: they can get a health rating of the product without reading and interpreting the fine print on ingredients, calories, and ingredients. According to one report of the Federal Council in December, around half of consumers have trouble understanding and interpreting the detailed information on food packaging.
The content of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, certain oils, dietary fiber and protein have a positive influence on the Nutri-Score. Sugar, salt, saturated fat and calories have a negative impact. The amount of these ingredients per 100 grams or 100 milliliters is decisive. The original formula was scientifically supported by the University of Oxford on behalf of the English authorities and later developed by France into the current model. France has been using the seal since 2017.
6100 products registered
The grade is not to be regarded as a recommendation for or against consumption. The grade A is therefore not an invitation to unlimited consumption. The Nutri-Score should only allow a comparison between the same product types – for example, bread with other breads and cheeses with other cheeses. This health traffic light, on the other hand, says nothing about the comparison between bread and cheese, between fruit and French fries or between chocolate and fruit juice. Anyone who wants information on this can refer to the Recommendations of the Swiss food pyramid for a balanced diet. The Nutri-Score also says nothing about the production conditions.
The Nutri-Score is voluntary. According to the Federal Council, 70 manufacturers with a total of almost 170 brands and a good 6100 products were registered for the Nutri-Score by the end of October; more are constantly being added. Nestlé is one of the promoters. This autumn announced the company that the introduction of the Nutri-Score on all its own products in Switzerland has been completed. The major distributor Migros has announced that it will use the Nutri-Score on all 10,000 of its own products by 2025. According to Migros, a good 40 own brands with a total of over 1000 articles are currently registered for the Nutri-Score. Aldi and Lidl have also shown interest.
At Coop, on the other hand, skepticism dominates. According to company information, the retailer currently has around 300 third-party brands with the Nutri-Score in its sales racks, but the use for private labels has so far been limited to a single example. An expansion is not planned. The major distributor lets it be known that he considers the detailed information on ingredients and nutritional values to be more meaningful than the Nutri-Score.
What Science Says
Various studies suggest that the Nutri-Score can improve the health of consumers. In a published this year analysis Out of five seals of approval in eighteen countries, the Nutri-Score came off best in terms of behavioral impact on consumers. On 2021 overview of the international research literature also showed positive effects of the Nutri-Score – also in comparison to other seals of quality. According to one of the studies mentioned, the Nutri-Score reduces mortality by a good 3 percent. Also a OECD report from this year shows positive results. According to German investigationg from this late summer, the Nutri-Score is also helping to correct misleading product information such as “no added sugar”.
But there is no lack of criticism. In 2021, various Swiss producer associations called for improvements in an international consultation. The farmers’ association, for example, stated that a grade based on the food pyramid should be preferred. In addition, the Nutri-Score does not take into account the degree of processing of the products and treats fruit and fruit juices unequally despite the fact that they have the same content. The beverage industry criticized the fact that apple spritzers were worse off than pure apple juice, despite the lower sugar content. And in the case of sweetened drinks, a reduction in the sugar content does not bring a better grade. The Meat Association found it shocking that the content of vitamins and minerals was not taken into account. The cheese manufacturers complained that traditional cheese was disadvantaged because of its relatively high fat and salt content.
improvements announced
Because of such points of criticism, the decision of the Federal Council for an information campaign on the Nutri-Score fell on the wrong side of the trade association. The association described the Nutri-Score as “absurd” regulation, which brings additional bureaucracy and does not meet the requirements.
Improvements are to come soon. Seven countries, including Switzerland, are involved in the administration and further development of the Nutri-Score. This summer decided the countries based on recommendations the scientific support group improvements to the formula. The planned changes include better differentiation between sweetened and non-sweetened dairy products and between different types of cheese, finer differentiation according to salt and sugar content, and better classification of fatty fish, high-fiber products (e.g. whole grain products) and certain oils (e.g. olive oil). . According to one observer, the changes could come into force over the next year.
A lot is also happening in the EU: the EU Commission had announced the introduction of a mandatory health seal of approval for food. In fact, this should also have significance for Switzerland. An EU decision on this is expected by mid-2023. Various countries lobbied for the Nutri-Score. Recent statements suggest that elements of various seals of quality are being incorporated into EU regulations.