Let us remind that the Nutri-score is one of the tools to express and summarize, on the front of food packages, the nutritional declaration, providing an indication of the nutritional quality of a food.
The discussions take place against the background of the Farm to Fork Strategy that, adopted by the European Commission in 2020 with the aim of boosting the economy while improving health and quality of life, has scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2022 a proposal for a (mandatory) front-of-pack labeling solution to summarize nutritional information in a harmonized manner.
France hopes that the chosen method will be the Nutri-score, which is used on the national territory, on a voluntary basis, since 2017; besides, the system is the most widespread one among EU countries, as was shown by a report on the topic contemplated by Article 35 of Reg (UE) 1169/2011 and published in May 2020.
The debate revolves around the fact that many traditional products such as numerous cheeses, some of which were even granted EU quality schemes as geographical indications, have a low Nutri-score index, such as D or E. The apparent paradox is generated by the fact that these foods, derived from tradition and high-quality know-how, may be compared with more recent, ultra-transformed products that can show more favorable scores.
Since it is very difficult for products protected by EU quality schemes to intervene on their Nutri-score because of the requirements established by the rigorous specifications of their category, the request to the institutions would be to adapt the Nutri-score calculation algorithm.
The answers of the French institutions are clear and substantiated. First of all, they note that the Nutri-score and the EU quality schemes refer to two completely different fields: nutritional quality on the one hand, and quality linked to the know-how of tradition, connected to production, taste and territory, on the other. Besides, the calculation of the Nutri-score has already been adapted for cheese, in order to take into account its Calcium content. Moreover, a low Nutri-score should not be understood as discouraging the consumption of products, but rather as an invitation to an responsible intake.
The authorities also ensure that the Nutri-score is not an immutable tool and that its algorithm is susceptible to modification. In particular, the seven nations that use it have established a governance system that includes an independent scientific committee, set up to evaluate adjustment proposals. The committee met for the first time in February 2021 and is expected to work on a regular basis.
In conclusion, the driving factor of the recent discussions on Nutri-score is the upcoming proposal of a harmonized front-of-pack nutrition labelling system, scheduled by the European Commission for the last 2022 trimester.
French authorities actively promote the France-developed Nutri-score and work for it to be the chosen one; this position meets the objection of certain traditional food sectors and, potentially, some other Member States.
All things considered, there are no certainties on which model will be designated yet; moreover, even in case the Nutri-score is indeed the selected one, changes to its algorithm cannot be excluded.
Orchidali can help you assess the nutritional quality of your products.
Français
NUTRI-SCORE AT THE HEART OF THE DEBATES: POSSIBLE FUTURE CHANGES
Over the last months, winds of criticism have blown against the system, that yet meets increasing approval among consumers; modifications to the algorithm are not excluded. Orchidali summarizes and comments the issues.
In recent months the Nutri-score (the use of which is increasing) has been the subject of much talk, either through heated press conferences (as those by the Confédération Générale des Producteurs de Lait de Brebis et des Industriels de Roquefort and the Institut Régional de la Qualité Agroalimentaire d’Occitanie) or across several parliamentary questions, published in French official journals accompanied by the relative answers from the institutions, the latest of which is dated October 14, 2021 (Questions écrites n°22090, 24157, 24188, et 39219).
Let us remind that the Nutri-score is one of the tools to express and summarize, on the front of food packages, the nutritional declaration, providing an indication of the nutritional quality of a food.
The discussions take place against the background of the Farm to Fork Strategy that, adopted by the European Commission in 2020 with the aim of boosting the economy while improving health and quality of life, has scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2022 a proposal for a (mandatory) front-of-pack labeling solution to summarize nutritional information in a harmonized manner.
France hopes that the chosen method will be the Nutri-score, which is used on the national territory, on a voluntary basis, since 2017; besides, the system is the most widespread one among EU countries, as was shown by a report on the topic contemplated by Article 35 of Reg (UE) 1169/2011 and published in May 2020.
The debate revolves around the fact that many traditional products such as numerous cheeses, some of which were even granted EU quality schemes as geographical indications, have a low Nutri-score index, such as D or E. The apparent paradox is generated by the fact that these foods, derived from tradition and high-quality know-how, may be compared with more recent, ultra-transformed products that can show more favorable scores.
Since it is very difficult for products protected by EU quality schemes to intervene on their Nutri-score because of the requirements established by the rigorous specifications of their category, the request to the institutions would be to adapt the Nutri-score calculation algorithm.
The answers of the French institutions are clear and substantiated. First of all, they note that the Nutri-score and the EU quality schemes refer to two completely different fields: nutritional quality on the one hand, and quality linked to the know-how of tradition, connected to production, taste and territory, on the other. Besides, the calculation of the Nutri-score has already been adapted for cheese, in order to take into account its Calcium content. Moreover, a low Nutri-score should not be understood as discouraging the consumption of products, but rather as an invitation to an responsible intake.
The authorities also ensure that the Nutri-score is not an immutable tool and that its algorithm is susceptible to modification. In particular, the seven nations that use it have established a governance system that includes an independent scientific committee, set up to evaluate adjustment proposals. The committee met for the first time in February 2021 and is expected to work on a regular basis.
In conclusion, the driving factor of the recent discussions on Nutri-score is the upcoming proposal of a harmonized front-of-pack nutrition labelling system, scheduled by the European Commission for the last 2022 trimester.
French authorities actively promote the France-developed Nutri-score and work for it to be the chosen one; this position meets the objection of certain traditional food sectors and, potentially, some other Member States.
All things considered, there are no certainties on which model will be designated yet; moreover, even in case the Nutri-score is indeed the selected one, changes to its algorithm cannot be excluded.
Orchidali can help you assess the nutritional quality of your products.
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