The truths and myths about the Nutri-Score logo

KarmaKarma creates healthy products and only develops product ideas that achieve a Nutri-Score A. We believe there's already enough unhealthy food. That’s why we know exactly how to determine a Nutri-Score.

There is some controversy and confusion surrounding the Nutri-Score logo. For example, you may have seen a photo of frozen fries with a Nutri-Score A. People often think Nutri-Score is a ranking within a category. But whether a product is healthy or not remains unclear. So, what’s really going on?

Nutri-Score is an objective formula that provides a good indication of a product’s healthiness.

There are separate methods for drinks and fats, but for all other foods—from cereals to frozen meals—the approach is the same. Nutri-Score is an overarching health score, not a category-specific rating as often assumed.

The score is based on the amount of energy, saturated fat, sugar, salt, protein, fiber, and the percentage of fruits, vegetables, and nuts per 100 grams.

Too much energy, saturated fat, sugar, and/or salt earns negative points, while a high amount of fiber, protein, or fruit, vegetables, legumes, and nuts scores positively. Nutri-Score is thus a sum of both positive and negative aspects of an ingredient or recipe, and is unrelated to product categories. The logo helps you quickly find healthy Nutri-Score A products even within less healthy categories.

How do I deal with this?

Nutri-Score A and B products are healthy and suitable for daily consumption. Products with C, D, or E scores should be consumed in moderation. Our diet needs not only fruits and vegetables but also carbohydrates and fats, including saturated ones. The problem is that we tend to consume too much. D and E products like olive oil or chocolate can still fit into a balanced diet but are better consumed in moderation.

What are the limitations of this logo?

Nutri-Score gives a good indication of a product’s nutritional value but does not account for everything. For example, it doesn’t consider additives, allergens, colorants, artificial sweeteners (like aspartame), or pesticides. We know aspartame is unhealthy, yet many soft drinks score Nutri-Score A. For these aspects, the European organic label is a good reference—which we’ll discuss in a future blog.

Nutri-Score also doesn’t consider preparation. For example, if you deep-fry healthy potatoes in saturated fat, they are no longer healthy. That’s why frozen fries can have a Nutri-Score A even though nobody eats them uncooked.

What do you think of Nutri-Score? Let us know.

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