From dark green "A" to bright red "E": A new label on ready-made foods should make it easier for customers to make healthy choices. The Nutri-Score can already be found in stores, and the ordinance on it should also come into force in autumn.
Berlin (dpa) - The broad introduction of a nutritional logo as an aid to healthy grocery shopping in Germany is getting closer. The Federal Cabinet has now approved an ordinance submitted by Food Minister Julia Klöckner (CDU) to introduce the so-called Nutri-Score for packaged foods.
If the EU does not raise any objections by September, the regulation should be a topic in the Federal Council in October and come into force in November at the latest. There will then be an information campaign about the logo for citizens. Some manufacturers have already gone ahead and are already using it on their products.
Overall rating of the components
In addition to the sugar, fat and salt content, Nutri-Score also includes recommended components such as fiber and certain proteins in an overall rating and then gives a single value - on a five-point scale from "A" on a dark green field for the most favorable balance yellow "C" to red "E" for the worst. The applicable field is highlighted. The logo on the front of the pack is intended to supplement the EU-wide mandatory nutritional table.
The goal is "as extensive as possible use," said Klöckner's ministry. A mandatory introduction at national level is not possible under EU law. During Germany's current EU Council Presidency, Klöckner wants to push ahead with the development of an EU-wide extended nutritional labeling. After a long dispute last autumn, the minister decided on Nutri-Score as the logo of choice.
Nutri-Score as a "visually clear orientation aid"
"It's not about doing without, but about the better alternative, about conscious decision-making options without having to go through lengthy nutritional tables," emphasized Klöckner. These have been retained, but there is also an "optically clear orientation aid" on the front of the products. "I have the clear expectation of companies that they will use the label," the minister made clear. Consumer advocates are putting pressure on it to be used on as broad a front as possible.
The introduction of the Nutri-Score is a "major nutritional project," said Klöckner. Precisely because the Germans are increasingly turning to ready-made dishes, it is important to see quickly how the composition is assessed overall. This will also give the food industry a "boost" to produce products that do better.
In May, the Hamburg consumer center found a good 1000 products with the Nutri-Score in a market study in retail. However, this is only a fraction of the items that supermarkets and department stores offer. International food groups such as Danone and Nestlé, who are already using the logo without the regulation, are pioneers.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 200819-99-227972 / 2
