The Nutri-Score-a synthetic nutritional information system using colors (green to orange) and letters (A-E) to be placed on the front of food labels-wins the European challenge. In fact, on 6/26/19 Nestlé, the first food industrial group on the planet, will announce its adoption in continental Europe. The king is naked, and he needs to get in shape.
Nutrition labels and color codes
The ‘Food Information Regulation‘ introduced the requirement to display a 7-element nutrition declaration on the labels of almost all food products, effective 14.12.16. (1) Values for energy, fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, sugar, protein and salt (sodium-equivalent) should always be expressed in relation to 100 g/ml of product. And possibly, on a voluntary basis, also by portion. (2)
However, European consumers are rarely able to understand the meaning of the values displayed in the nutrition table. The vast majority of consumers do not even have a rough idea of their energy (kcal) and nutrient requirements, and so even when they read the values, they are unable to derive any usefulness from them. Neither to distinguish products with the most balanced nutritional profiles, nor to include them sensibly in one’s diet.
Summary nutrition schemes have been introduced by health authorities in several countries, on a voluntary basis, with the dual purpose of helping consumers to:
– distinguish the nutritional profiles of different products on the shelf at a glance. Valuable help when referring to ultra-processed foods, whose values of saturated fats, sugars and salt can vary even significantly from product to product,
– Understand the position of the individual product within a balanced diet. Colors in British traffic-lights and Scandinavian keyholes, colors and letters in the Franco-Belgian and Hispanic Nutri-Score, and smiles in the healthy logo in the Netherlands in fact converge to show how HFSS(High Fats, Sugar and Sodium) foods are not suitable for large or frequent consumption.
The goal of these schemes is to protect public health from the
Global Syndemic
, theglobal epidemic of obesity and malnutrition. Which results from unbalanced diets and is the leading cause of premature deaths and disabling diseases. Such as tumors, diabetes, hepatic steatosis. In a logic of prevention, recommended by the WHO and strongly opposed by those industrial giants, even across the Atlantic, who persist in grinding profits on junk food promoted through grossly unfair marketing practices.
Big Food
has so far been only marginally concerned with the reformulation of ultra-processed foods to improve their nutritional characteristics. As dutiful, from a CSR(Corporate Social Responsibility) perspective, to become ‘part of the solution’ instead of continuing to be ‘the cause of the problem’.
Europe, disease prevention and Nutri-Score
Europe has failed in its stated goals of protecting public health through prevention of diseases related to poor nutrition. The much talk has not been followed by suitable acts to reverse the course of the Global Syndemic. Childhood obesity continues to increase, even and especially in countries that were once the cradle of the Mediterranean diet. Like Italy, where diabetes has now reached a prevalence of 6 percent (3.5 million people), which has doubled in the last 10 years in the 20-30 age group.
Big Food
has developed GDAs(Guideline Daily Amounts), a summary nutritional information scheme that refers to the percentage of energy and nutrients contained in a serving of product compared to average daily requirements(Reference Intake, or ‘Intakes’). But this scheme does not help in comparing different products because the portions of each are freely determined-and ‘custom-calibrated by marketing‘-by individual producers. With paradoxical effects, in terms of misinformation, when portions are referred to grams of spreads. GDAs, or ‘Reference Intakes,’ therefore do not allow the nutritional values of foods to be compared (in the absence of a consistent unit of measurement, such as 100 g/ml), nor do they allow them to be distinguished at a glance. As instead the color codes allow.
The Nutri-Score was developed by the French Health Administration, based on scientific studies that demonstrated its effective ability to provide the average consumer with news that is as simple as it is useful. Thanks to the color-in 5 tones, from green to yellow to orange-and the letters (A to E, helpful for color-blind people), consumAtors can get an idea about the preference of one snack, cookie, or snack over another. Triggering virtuous competition among their producers, who are thus stimulated to improve recipes-reducing saturated fats, sugars and salt-to encourage choice.
A recent European citizens’ initiative, widely supported by consumer groups, therefore aims to establish the Nutri-Score system as mandatory. Which has already received favorable feedback in France and Spain-countries with similar food habits to ours in terms of variety and culture-without causing any harm to sales and consumption of traditional and typical foods. This system is also applied in Belgium, and a recent scientific study has shown its usefulness for German consumers as well. Just to encourage balanced food choices and improve the diet, thus the health, of populations.
Nutri-Score, Nestlé’s choice.
6/26/19 Nestlé-the planetary leader in the food & drink industry, with 82.295 billion euros in sales in 2018-announces its momentous choice. It will introduce the Nutri-Score on the many labels of the many food product lines under its various brands in continental Europe. That is, outside of England where so-calledtraffic lights (traffic lights) on labels are in vogue instead. It will begin in those countries-France, Belgium, and Spain-where the scheme has already been officially introduced, approved by health administrations, and widely applied by retailers. In line with the legitimate expectations of consumAtors who, it should be remembered, are the true masters of the market. The independent variable really can dictate the evolution of supply.
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Danone had anticipated the Swiss giant’s choice, beginning just this year to gradually introduce the Nutri-Score on all its products. For reputational needs, after bitter criticism from consumer groups because of the high sugar and fat content in its fruit yogurts intended for children (who have since been ‘put on a diet’, -37% sugar and -68% fat). Iglo-the Findus brand holder-and Bofrost have also taken this path, and so have many small producers. For once it was the large-scale retail trade (GDO), the operator closest to consumers, that lagged behind in this transparency-inspired innovation. A missed opportunity so far.
The king is naked, and it is time for him to get in shape. One only has to consult the valuable Openfoodfacts.org platform, which records the Nutri-Score scores of a multitude of products, to acknowledge how many of the most famous Nestlé-branded references still have poor nutritional profiles (see Appendix). Too much sugar, too much fat and saturated fat, in general. The unbearable burden of palm oil is often felt. But the Swiss giant-which has never stood out for social responsibility, most recently with the ecocide associated with Nespresso-now has an opportunity to sublimate its role from ’cause of the problem’ to ‘part of the solution. Reformulating products, clean label. The breakthrough is necessary!
Dario Dongo
Notes
(1) See reg. EU 1169/11, . The ABCs of nutrition declaration, at https://www.foodagriculturerequirements.com/approfondimenti_1/dichiarazione-nutrizionale-obbligatoria-al-via-il-14-12-16-l-abc-delle-norme-da-applicare_1
(2) Subject to specifying the quantity of the individual portion and the number of portions contained in the sales unit
Attachment
Brief examples of the Nutri-Score applied to some Nestlé-branded references
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.