Mr Viral
Nestlé is ditching Nutri-Score. Not everywhere, and not on all brands, but it marks the second time an FMCG heavyweight has removed Nutri-Score from packaging in a year.
The decision impacts Switzerland only, where Nestlé is headquartered. It’s here the company has decided to remove Nutri-Score labelling from its local brands, including confectionery-focused Cailler and Chokito; beverage brands Incarom, Henniez, Nestea and Romanette; and Leisi, which makes baked goods.
All other Nestlé brands sold in multiple markets, including Switzerland, will continue to carry the Nutri-Score label.
Why is Nestlé removing Nutri-Score in Switzerland?Nutri-Score is based on a complex algorithm that ranks food and drink according to ‘healthy’ and ‘less healthy’ attributes. It’s this algorithm that has long attracted heat, and even more so since Nutri-Score made updates impacting food and milk-based beverages.
But that’s not why Nestlé is distancing itself from Nutri-Score in Switzerland. Rather, the FMCG is dissatisfied with the level of adoption in its native country, where uptake has been low. According to a Nestlé spokesperson, its brands are often the “only ones” to carry the label in its local brands’ categories.
Since Nutri-Score is designed to help consumers compare the nutritional value of products within the same category, the company no longer feels the label is fulfilling its role. The suggestion is that if only one brand or a handful of products bears the label, Nutri-Score no longer offers added value.
The phaseout will be implemented brand by brand, with all Nutri-Score labels disappearing on Nestlé’s local Swiss brands by late 2026. A QR code will be applied to packaging instead, directing consumers to more details on ingredients and nutritional values.
Nestlé’s decision is ‘contradictory’ and ‘absurd’That Nutri-Score uptake is low in Switzerland is a point of contention.
The label continues to be supported by local organisations such as the Swiss Obesity Alliance, Santé Publique Suisse, and the Swiss Heart Foundation. Indeed, many in Switzerland are calling for Nutri-Score to become mandatory, explains Serge Hercberg, professor of nutrition at the Université of Sorbonne Paris Nord, and who helped devise Nutri-Score. “Currently, there are no significant political obstacles to its implementation.”
Are other food and beverage products in Switzerland carrying the Nutri-Score label? Within other categories, yes. Nestlé itself continues to display Nutri-Score on brands sold in multiple countries, and many products coming from neighbouring countries are also labelled with Nutri-Score for Swiss consumers.
But even if Nestlé were the only company carrying it, withdrawing the label from some brands would still be “unacceptable”, says Hercberg. “Nestlé cannot simultaneously claim to prioritise transparency and then remove Nutri-Score from certain brands and markets, especially in Switzerland – the country where the company was founded and where its headquarters are located.”
The FMCG’s arguments for removing Nutri-Score from some, but not all, brands, are “entirely unfounded”, Hercberg stresses. “The decision appears contradictory and absurd, given Nestlé’s public commitment to transparency and consumer information.”
Did Nestlé drop Nutri-Score for the same reason as Danone?Nestlé’s decision comes nine months after Danone decided to drop Nutri-Score from its dairy and plant-based drinkable products, meaning two big names in food have pulled the label for some brands within a year.
Who is dropping Nutri-Score in Europe?Danone and Nestlé are not the only players in food and drink dropping Nutri-Score for some brands. Others to ditch the label in France include Bjorg, Cristaline and Kispolls. In Switzerland, retailer Migros and dairy manufacturer Emmi have also pulled the label.
The catalyst behind Danone’s move is very different to that of Nestlé’s, however. Danone was disgruntled by Nutri-Score’s algorithm change, which pushes drinkable dairy and plant-based alternatives into the beverage – rather than food – category.
What does this mean in practice? Under the new algorithm, skimmed and semi-skimmed milk are demoted from A to B, and whole milk from B to C.
“This development gives an erroneous view of the nutritional and functional quality of drinkable dairy and plant-based products, not in line with food-based dietary guidelines,” a Danone spokesperson said at the time.
Nestlé on the other hand is drawing a clear distinction between its motivations and that of those challenging the updated algorithm. “We are now focused on rolling out the new algorithm on our in-scope products, in alignment with the two-year transition period defined by the Countries that are Officially Endorsing Nutri-Score,” a company spokesperson explains.
Others have also abandoned Nutri-Score in recent times. One of Switzerland’s largest retail chains, Migros, has also decided to step away from the nutrition labelling scheme, claiming it remains “relatively unknown” and “often misunderstood” by consumers. Some countries have also pushed back against its adoption, with Romania banning the label, and makers of so-called traditional foods in Italy and Spain repeatedly campaigning against its use.
Nutri-Score’s future hanging in the balanceVoluntarily, Nutri-Score continues to be carried by brands and retailers alike. Strong proponents include Nestlé (which stresses the Switzerland decision does not affect its support for Nutri-Score in other countries) and PepsiCo, as well as retailers Carrefour and Lidl.
As to whether the label will ever become mandatory is looking increasingly unlikely. The European Commission (EC) recently refused to confirm or deny whether Nutri-Score would be rolled out across all Member States. Nor could the EC confirm it would still push for a mandatory nutrition labelling system.
With major players like Nestlé and Danone stepping back – each for different reasons – and political will at the EU level waning, Nutri-Score’s future is hanging in the balance.
