Recognize healthy and unhealthy foods as well as sugar and fat traps right away. That’s what the Nutri-Score promises, which has recently appeared on the front of many packages. But what does the food traffic light really mean?
The ingredients and nutritional values of food are becoming increasingly confusing, so a new strategy is needed to be able to identify fat and sugar traps straight away. The so-called Nutri-Score – also known as the food traffic light – is intended to identify consumers with the nutritional values with a five-level color and letter scale on the front of the packaging.
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What is the Nutri Score?
The Nutri-Score is a colored nutrition label with a five-point scale that summarizes the various properties of a food. The scale runs from a green “A” to a red “E”. This scale not only evaluates individual components such as fat or sugar, but also the proportion of fruit and vegetables in the food as a whole. The score information relates to the 100 gram or 100 milliliter specification . The conventional nutritional value table is also retained.
The Nutri-Score was developed by independent nutritionists. It has also been used in France since 2017 and is becoming increasingly popular. According to one, the majority for a Nutri-Score is also growing in GermanyFood Watch survey . But how does labeling work and does it actually help consumers to adopt a healthier diet?
How is the Nutri-Score calculated?
For the Nutri-Score, the various ingredients of a food are determined per 100 grams or 100 milliliters. The energy content, sugar, saturated fatty acids, salt, protein and fiber , as well as the proportion of fruit, vegetables and nuts are included. Nutrients are worth between -15 and +40 points. From the total number of points, it gives the rating from a green “A” to a red “E”.
Allocation of total points for food
- A = -15 to -1
- B = 0 to 2
- C = 3 to 10
- D = 11 to 18
- E = 19 and more
The advantages of the Nutri-Score
- The scale is clear and easy to understand. It offers quick and easy orientation.
- Products can be compared quickly and easily because the score always refers to 100 grams or 100 milliliters.
- With the score, balanced and less balanced products can be quickly distinguished , which means that the health value can be assessed more quickly.
- The Nutri-Score can help manufacturers change their recipes and use more balanced ingredients.
The disadvantages of the Nutri-Score
- The Nutri-Score does not represent individual nutrients . For this, the nutritional value tables on the back must still be consulted.
- Vitamins, minerals and unsaturated fatty acids are not taken into account in the Nutri-Score .
- The Nutri-Score does not make sense on every food, eg on olive oil or fruit juice, as these often only consist of one ingredient. The label is more appropriate for compound and highly processed foods .
- Poor values are compensated for by better values in the Nutri-Score. This means that not every ingredient automatically scores well.
