Fantastic Foods and Where to Find Them—Advantages and Disadvantages of Nutri-Score in the Search for Healthier Food

Abstract

The composition and quality of food rations and the intake of nutrients with the diet are undoubtedly reflected in our health. In order to help the consumer choose the right food product, food manufacturers use front-of-pack labels, which are designed to convey concise information about the nutritional value of the product. Such labels include the Nutri-Score system. In this paper, we have critically analyzed this system. As the available data indicate, this system does not take into account a number of factors that affect the quality of a food product, including the size of the package, the contents of vitamins, minerals, and other selected health-promoting ingredients, the degree of processing, or the fatty acid profile of the product, and it discriminates against regional products, organic products, and juices and nectars. This system, although intuitive and created with good intentions, still has quite a few flaws that must be addressed before it can be considered to correctly indicate the nutritional value of food products.

Keywords

• Nutri-Score
• front-of-pack label
• nutritional habits
• nutritional choices
• healthy eating