The NutriScore is a now fairly well-known symbol that can be applied on food labels to promote a balanced diet. It is among the leading candidates for the system to be adopted throughout the EU, despite opposition from the Italian government. To clear up doubts and misunderstandings, Santé publique France, an agency of the Ministry of Health, published a brochure. (1)
NutriScore
Of the NutriScore we have reported extensively on this site. (2) To sum up, the logo designed by the French researchers gives an easy-to-understand score on the nutritional profile of the food, thanks to the synthesis expressed with a color and a letter articulated in 5 levels.
The range is from the letter A accompanied by the color dark green, assigned to foods to be consumed more frequently, to the letter E (color red) for those to be minimized.
Doubts about the NutriScore
Views in Italy opposing this nutritional labeling system rest on doubts that the NutriScore may penalize typical Made in Italy foods, such as extra virgin olive oil or parmesan cheese.
In this regard, Santé publique France publishes some clarifications
– In daily life, it is good to tend to consume only foods classified as A and B. Those found to be in class D and E can be consumed but in small amounts and not too often,
– C score is not necessarily good or bad, it depends on the type of food. If it is a yogurt, it is good to search better, because there are many in better class. If it is olive or canola oil, you are looking at the best possible score for a food that is very caloric but also rich in beneficial properties,
– the NutriScore score reported on the label is about the food as it is sold. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that frozen fried potatoes are rated A. These are potatoes cut into sticks. The evolution of the nutritional profile depends on the preparation: baked in the oven they remain in A, fried in oil and topped with mayonnaise and other sauces they take on a different tenor altogether.
The evolution of the food pyramid
The underlying intent of the NutriScore system is similar to that of the more familiar food pyramid devised in 1922 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
As early as a century ago, public health sought to improve the nutrition of the population by placing groups of foods to be consumed more frequently at the base of the pyramid and those to be minimized at the apex.
Instant nutritional comparison
Unlike the food pyramid, which has remained an abstract concept after 100 years of evolution in food labeling, the NutriScore allows you to
– Identify the nutritional profile of the individual packaged food at a glance,
– Instantly compare-before purchase-two products in the same category, identifying the one with a more balanced nutritional profile.
A rehearsal in Italy with Yuka
This benefit is still denied to Italian consumers. In the meantime, an effective alternative is offered-to smartphone users-by instant food comparison apps, such as Yuka.
In fact, the ingenious app, also launched in France, provides a rating based on the NutriScore (as well as the presence of undesirable additives) by reading the barcode. For this very reason, to the general astonishment, it has come under the crosshairs of the Antitrust Authority. (3)
Yuka and Made in Italy
On the iconic Made in Italy products mentioned earlier, we questioned the Yuka app. With the following results
– extra virgin olive oil has an excellent rating, 75/100, increased to 85/100 if organic,
– parmesan cheese is rated mediocre (32/100, plus 10 points if organic), due to its saturated fat content (20 percent), calorie intake and amount of salt (1.6 percent). A result superimposed on that of French Camembert cheese.
As mentioned, the assessment must consider the type of food and the consumption of it on a daily basis. In Italy as in France. Without fear of properly informing the public.
Marta Strinati
Notes
(1) Le Nutri-Score pour mieux manger en un coup d’œil. Santé publique France. https://www.reseau-national-nutrition-sante.fr/img_base/references/nutriscore-information-brochure-reseau-national-nutrition-sante.pdf
(2) Dario Dongo. Codex Alimentarius, the NutriScore and the WHO guidelines. GIFT(Great Italian Food Trade) 29.9.21 https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/etichette/codex-alimentarius-il-nutriscore-e-le-linee-guida-who
Dario Dongo. NutriScore, full marks from IARC and citizens in Spain. GIFT(Great Italian Food Trade) 18.9.21 https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/salute/nutriscore-pieni-voti-della-iarc-e-dei-cittadini-in-spagna
(3) Dario Dongo. Nutriscore and Yuka, Antitrust enters the fray. GIFT(Great Italian Food Trade) 24.11.21. https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/idee/nutriscore-e-yuka-l-antitrust-si-butta-nella-mischia
Professional journalist since January 1995, he has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic surveys on food, she has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".
