In May 2020, the European Commission published its Farm to Fork Strategy, in which it committed to propose harmonised mandatory front-of-pack nutrition labelling (FoPNL) to empower consumers to make informed, healthy and sustainable food choices by the fourth quarter of 2022. EUPHA is concerned that the deadline that the Commission initially announced has now passed and there seems to be no formal indication of when its proposal is going to be published.
Of the four FoPNL schemes considered in the inception impact assessment, Nutri-Score is the only one meeting the criteria for the success of an effective FoPNL scheme, as it is simple, graded and colour-coded. Its effectiveness in terms of its ability to attract consumers’ attention, be favourably perceived, be well understood and have an impact on nutritional quality of purchases has been well established. Given the burden of chronic diseases, preventive action is urgently needed. EUPHA therefore is calling for the Commission to move forward with the revisions it has committed to introduce by proposing legislation as a matter of urgency requiring food to be labelled with Nutri-Score on a mandatory basis across the EU.
Read the full statement here.
