The Nutri-Score algorithm is evolving. The method of calculating this nutritional score, which goes from A to E on food packaging, “will promote more favorable food choices for health,” announced the General Directorate of Health (DGS) in a press release on monday april 24
“This new algorithm will reinforce the effectiveness of Nutri-Score to classify foods and beverages according to the main dietary recommendations of European countries and will guide consumers towards informed choices that are favorable for their health”, according to the DGS.
This review process has been completed by the steering committee, constituted by the competent authorities of the Nutri-score transnational government, knowing the Belgium, France, Allemagne, Luxembourg, Pays-Bas, Spain and Swiss.
Harmonize the drink algorithm
After the adoption last July of the changes in the Nutri-Score for food, it incorporates the recommendations of the scientific committee for beverages, adopted on March 30. The first objective, according to the DGS, is “to harmonize the algorithm ensuring a consistent classification of all beverages.”
“Thus, milk, dairy drinks and vegetable drinks have been included in this algorithm, ensuring a classification of skimmed and semi-skimmed milk in the most favorable classes and allowing a differentiation between the different types of milk according to their fat content. and with sugary milk drinks,” she says.
These developments for beverages should also make it possible to “better differentiate the nutritional composition of beverages based on their sugar content, particularly for low-sweetened beverages, and modify the algorithm to limit the substitution of sugars by sweeteners.”
Ensure consistency between different countries.
Finally, the DGS announces the maintenance “of the specific position of water in category A” and the conservation of a “globally similar classification of fruit juices and nectars (including smoothies) compared to the current algorithm of the Nutri-Score , considered adequate by experts in light of the scientific literature”.
This new algorithm will be implemented in a coordinated manner by the different countries at the end of 2023, “in order to guarantee consistency between the different territories”. As of this date, operators will have a period of two years to adapt the Nutri-Score to their products.
The DGS undertakes that the competent authorities will accompany the operators of the different countries interested in this process of evolution of the Nutri-Score algorithm. Specific communication will also be implemented “in order to explain these developments and support consumers.”
Source: BFM TV
