The Nutri-Score... Do you already have these on the packaging? Or do you plan to do it? Then be sure to read on. Indeed, the Nutri-Score algorithm has changed. And that can have quite a few consequences for your brand and packaging.
Back to the basics quickly. Nutri-Score is a logo on the front of foods. This logo should help consumers make healthier food choices quickly and easily. The Nutri-Score provides an overall score about the composition of a product. This score indicates how healthy the product is: from the dark green A for the healthiest products via the light green B, yellow C and orange D to the red E for... you get the idea... the less healthy options.
Nutri-Score was originally a French system that is already being used in several European countries. In the Netherlands, too, some tests have already been carried out with this voluntary logo. The Nutri-Score is calculated based on an algorithm, simply put, the instructions to calculate the Nutri-Score per product.
The Nutri-Score algorithm has recently changed and the Dutch government has decided to officially introduce this revised Nutri-Score as a food choice logo. This means that from January 2024, Dutch producers who want to put the Nutri-Score on their packaging will have the revised algorithm should use Nutri-Score. And all Dutch products that already have a Nutri-Score as part of test runs, should have been adapted to this new calculation method from 1 July 2024.
A European team of experts, including Dutch experts, has investigated the Nutri-Score in recent years. This showed, among other things, that the Nutri-Score for various foods was not yet in line with the Disk of Five, as we use it in the Netherlands. As a result, no distinction was made between whole grain bread and white bread, for example. Breakfast cereals with a high sugar content also often received a positive A score. In addition, according to the experts, red meat and drinks containing sweeteners still received too positive scores. The Nutri-Score algorithm therefore had to be changed.
The new Nutri-Score calculation method now fits into the Wheel of Five. For example, the revised Nutri-Score distinguishes between whole grain and refined products: wholemeal bread now usually gets an A and white bread mainly gets a C. Frozen pizzas usually score no higher than C. With the revised algorithm.
The revised Nutri-Score has also changed considerably for drinks. For example, sweeteners in drinks are now receiving negative points. And water is now the only drink that receives the dark green Nutri-Score A. All other drinks, including those that are naturally low in calories, fall into categories B to E with the revised Nutri-Score.
The Health Council has examined the revised Nutri-Score. And based on this, the council has recommended introducing the Nutri-Score as a food choice logo in the Netherlands. But that doesn't mean that the Nutri-Score is perfect right now. For example, products in the green category can still contain a relatively large number of unhealthy additives, such as salt and sugar in potted vegetables or canned fruit. There is also still too little distinction made when it comes to cheese. The revised version makes no distinction between cheese 🧀 that does fall into the Wheel of Five (for example 10+, 20+ or 30+ cheese) and cheese that does not fit into the Wheel of Five.
So the Nutri-Score will be improved somewhat in the future to further improve it (and not just for cheese).
The Nutri-Score is neither mandatory nor perfect. In addition, further research will have to show whether the Nutri-Score ultimately really leads to a healthier diet for everyone, says the Health Council. Of course, a healthy diet is more than choosing products with a green score.
But even with the current imperfections, a Nutri-Score on your packaging certainly has advantages:
✔️ It informs consumers about the nutritional value of a product at a glance. This makes it easier for them to compare products, which can help them make healthier choices.
✔️ With a Nutri-Score on your packaging, you show that you value transparency and that you want to help consumers eat and live healthier.
✔️ From a visual point of view, Nutri-Score is a powerful logo that your customers quickly recognize. Several European countries - France, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain and Switzerland - have already introduced this food choice logo. And the products from these countries can also be found on the Dutch market, so people recognize the logo even more quickly.
Basically, the same calculation is used for all food products, with special rules for cheese. And with the exception of vegetable and animal fats and drinks, because there are other calculations for that.
We won't go too deep into exactly how the algorithm works. But in short, the calculation for most products comes down to this:
🍅 Any positively component of a product, such as vegetables, fruit, fiber, protein and legumes, is awarded a number of points. The number of points that a positive component receives depends on how much of that positive component is present in 100 grams product.
🍅 The number of points of the positive components is added together.
🍩 Also every negatively component of a product, such as saturated fats, sugar, salt and energy, gets a number of points. And here too, the number of points depends on how much of that negative component is present per 100 grams.
🍩 The number of points of the negative components is added together.
🍩 When the total score for the negative components is less than 11: Nutri-Score = total N points - total P points.
🍅 Is the total score for negative components greater than or equal to 11: Nutri-Score = total N points - points for fiber - points for fruit, vegetables, legumes.
🍅 The Nutri-Score then matches a letter and color.
Whether you've decided to use the Nutri-Score or are already testing it, implementing the new algorithm can have a significant impact on your work.
For example, all your product information must comply with the Nutri-Score guidelines, so that the Nutri-Score for each product can be calculated using the new calculation method. Subsequently, that Nutri-Score must also appear flawlessly on all packaging.
Are you already using the Nutri-Score based on the old calculation? Implementing the
new algorithm can have a significant impact on the work. And then there is also
that deadline of July 2024: by this date, all products must be adapted to the new ones
calculation method. The new calculation may give certain foods a new Nutri-Score and all packaging will have to be changed before then.
Introducing the new Nutri-Score generally means a lot of work to be done and a lot of coordination with colleagues or external partners. And all of that, often under time pressure. A mistake can then quickly creep in.
With Artwork Connect, you save a lot of hassle, time and money throughout this process and reduce the risk of errors to a minimum. Artwork Connect is an advanced system that allows you to easily, quickly and error-free centrally manage and adjust product information for all your packaging. For example, mandatory product information about allergens, ingredients and expiration dates. You can also adjust the design for your packaging in the blink of an eye and in a consistent way with Artwork Connect. This way, you can be sure that the Nutri-Score will appear clearly and error-free on all your product packaging, in line with your brand.
Want more tips about working with the new Nutri-Score? Watch the free Nutri-Score webinar, on October 5, from 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
Paul Volkers from packaging specialist Volkers BV and Carla van der Hall, consultant at KTBA, discuss
different aspects of the Nutri-Score: from nutritional analysis and score calculation
to prints and packshots.
You can register for this webinar via: https://artworkconnect.nl/webinar-nutri-score/
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