Cent Eur J Public Health 2021, 29(1):76-79 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a6239

International evidence for the effectiveness of the front-of-package nutrition label called Nutri-Score

Valentina A. Andreeva¹, Manon Egnell¹, Mathilde Touvier¹, Pilar Galan¹, Chantal Julia^{1, 2}, Serge Hercberg^{1, 2}

¹ Nutritional Epidemiology Research Group, Sorbonne Paris Nord University, Bobigny, France

² Department of Public Health, Avicenne Hospital, Bobigny, France

Objectives: Front-of-package nutrition labels are intended to easily convey to consumers comprehensible information about the nutritional composition of pre-packaged food and are thus a tool in the combat against the growing prevalence of nutrition-related disorders, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some types of cancer. The objective of the present narrative review was first to describe Nutri-Score and then to synthesize some of the international scientific evidence for its effectiveness. Guided by scientific data and collective expertise, France formally adopted labelling of pre-packaged food with the 5-colour Nutri-Score label in October 2017 and that move was later followed by Belgium, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.

Methods: This article synthesizes evidence from several countries regarding the effectiveness of Nutri-Score and the associated individual-level diet quality index in terms of attitude/behaviour- and health-related outcomes. It also addresses criticism levied at the label.

Results: The effectiveness of Nutri-Score has been demonstrated in terms of consumer ability to correctly classify food according to its nutritional quality, the nutritional quality of actual and intended food purchases, and portion size choices. In addition, consumption of foods that are less favourably rated on the Nutri-Score scale has been prospectively associated with chronic disease risk (cancer, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, etc.).

Conclusion: The adoption and implementation of a uniform front-of-package label such as the scientifically validated Nutri-Score on pre-packaged foods/beverages across Europe could be beneficial to consumers at the point of purchase and could help reduce the incidence of diet-related chronic diseases by means of improvement in diet quality.

Keywords: Nutri-Score, nutritional quality, front-of-package labels, chronic disease, nutrition policy, Europe

Received: April 1, 2020; Revised: February 13, 2021; Accepted: February 13, 2021; Published: March 31, 2021  Show citation