The Italian Competition Authority Calls The "Nutri-score" Labelling System Misleading

The Nutri-Score, also known as the 5-Color Nutrition label or 5-CNL, is a five-colors nutrition label which aims at providing a quick and user-friendly visualization of the overall nutritional value of food and beverages.

This system was first adopted in France, in 2017, and chosen among several labels suggested by industry professionals and retailers. The Nutri-Score is based on the computation of a nutrient profiling system derived from the United Kingdom Food Standards Agency nutrient profiling system (FSA score).

In particular, food products are divided into 5 categories, based on a score calculated by subtracting the total amount of the "positive" elements (percentage of fruit, vegetables, fiber, protein etc.) from the total amount of the "negative" elements (salt, saturated fatty acids, sugars etc.). Foods showing very low scores belong to category A (green), while those showing the highest scores belong to category E (red).