Less than half of foods with Nutri-Score

The consumer advice centers have checked hundreds of foods from the product groups bread and rolls, pizzas, milk and milk drinks, plant-based drinks and cereals for labeling with the Nutri-Score. The results were compared with the information that the consumer advice centers had collected as part of a pre-check for the same products a year earlier.

The results shortly

  • 579 of 1,451 products (40 percent) had a Nutri-Score, less than half of the foods examined. 
  • With 118 of 169 products (70 percent), pizzas were most often marked with the label. 
  • The Nutri-Score was found least frequently in cereals and dairy products, with a share of 28 percent each.
  • Compared to the previous year, the proportion of products marked with a Nutri-Score increased from 477 to 579, an increase of seven percent.
  • The nutrient composition of a total of 140 of 1,451 foods improved over the course of the year. 

“We demand more speed from the food industry when it comes to Nutri-Score. Colored nutritional labeling can be much more meaningful within a product group if it is used across the board. But the introduction is progressing slowly. That’s why the Nutri-Score should become mandatory across Europe.”

Sonja Pannenbecker, food consultant at the Bremen Consumer Center

So far, companies have been allowed to decide for themselves whether to use the label or not.

Label helps with shopping

The results of the market checks show that the Nutri-Score helps to select foods with a better nutritional composition within a product group. The worse the value for bread, for example, the higher the average salt content in the products. The average saturated fat content of pizzas is about four times higher if there is a D instead of an A on the package.  

“It is encouraging that suppliers have improved the nutrient composition of around a tenth of the products examined over the course of the year.”

Sonja Pannenbecker, food consultant at the Bremen Consumer Center

Keep label moving forward

The basic principle of calculating the Nutri-Score is that positive and negative nutrients are offset against each other. This can currently mean that cereals, for example, receive a good score despite their high sugar content. However, improvements are planned for 2023 that will assess the sugar content more strictly, so that high amounts of sugar can no longer be so easily compensated for. In addition, the salt and fiber content should also be assessed more strictly.

“We called for these planned changes because they allow the Nutri-Score to reflect the nutrient composition even better.”

Sonja Pannenbecker, food consultant at the Bremen Consumer Center

Check Nutri-Score more often

The Nutri-Score is only regularly checked by the food control authorities in three of the 14 federal states requested.

"That is far too little! Even with this voluntary declaration, regular and nationwide uniform controls are necessary.”

Sonja Pannenbecker, food consultant at the Bremen Consumer Center

According to the consumer advice centers, 17 products in the market check were marked with an incorrect value.

The full report on the market check carried out in spring 2022 and further information such as an information sheet for consumers are published on the consumer advice center website: HERE

Source:

Bremen Consumer Center
Also read the Mimikama fact check: No, you will not receive a spy SMS on December 8th!


If you enjoyed this post and value the importance of well-founded information, become part of the exclusive Mimikama Club! Support our work and help us promote awareness and combat misinformation. As a club member you receive:

📬 Special Weekly Newsletter: Get exclusive content straight to your inbox.
🎥 Exclusive video* “Fact Checker Basic Course”: Learn from Andre Wolf how to recognize and combat misinformation.
📅 Early access to in-depth articles and fact checks: always be one step ahead.
📄 Bonus articles, just for you: Discover content you won't find anywhere else.
📝 Participation in webinars and workshops : Join us live or watch the recordings.
✔️ Quality exchange: Discuss safely in our comment function without trolls and bots.

Join us and become part of a community that stands for truth and clarity. Together we can make the world a little better!

* In this special course, Andre Wolf will teach you how to recognize and effectively combat misinformation. After completing the video, you have the opportunity to join our research team and actively participate in the education - an opportunity that is exclusively reserved for our club members!


Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )