Nutri-score ranking: Algorithm evolves to help people choose healthier food • FRANCE 24 English

Nutri-score ranking: Algorithm evolves to help people choose healthier food • FRANCE 24 English

Next up several countries in Europe have already adopted a so-called nutricore it’s a food ranking system that’s displayed on the packaging aimed at helping people choose healthier food now the system essentially gives food and drink items a score from a to E A is the most healthy and E is the least it’s

Based on their key ingredients such as sugar salt and fiber but the algorithm to come up with this grade has recently changed to better reflect the nutritional facts and here to discuss this with us is Julia Seager from our health and Tech desk hello there oh are

You uh so first of all the neutr score I mean we I see it every time I’m at the supermarket here in France it’s definitely something that Shoppers look at and do we trust it though when we see that neutr score well that’s actually a very good question 64% of French people

Actually choose one product over another depending on that nut score and of course it has a huge impact on product sales uh now do we do we actually trust it most people of course trust it but we do we actually understand what is behind that letter uh so to understand that you

Have to go back to the Genesis of the project in 2014 the government is looking to combat uh obesity among uh among young people and they’re going to draw inspiration from a program that exists in the UK and they’re going to create this grade this color uh coded

Grade that to be displayed this time on the packaging uh and at the time they’re going to think that they can be ba they can uh use the uh the nutritional facts that already exist on the packaging and it’s quite easy because they don’t have to ask anything from manufacturers the

Data is already there and so the the calculation method they’re going to come up with is actually quite basic they’re going to take into account on one hand the amount of nutrients considered as healthy so meaning fiber protein fruits and on the other in that calculation uh

They’re going to uh do a a uh look at at everything that’s considered as bad for your health so energy saturated fats uh but also uh salt and sugar and they’re going to average that and score it now the problem of course is that the nutritional facts that look quite

Complicated for us are actually quite basic so the algorithm doesn’t pick up doesn’t distinguish between what we call uh added sugars sweeteners and natural uh sugar that is in a product it’s also going to neglect NE neglect uh essential nutrients like essential fatty acid acids vitamins and minerals so pretty

Much what this means is that it doesn’t actually distinguish what we call processed foods which is a huge issue and of course when there’s any sort of system for getting a grade people will find a way to game the the system that’s true um how have manufacturers responded

To this neutri score well many man manufacturers have changed their recipes and reduced sugar and salt but others of course have found a way around it and because the algorithm doesn’t pick up on the processed foods they’ve been tweaking it adding dietary fibers additives uh and of course it’s only the

Big Agri food companies that can do that because they have the money for the research but not not small producers but so the new nutricore is going to try to rectify this yeah it’s going to be tougher on sugar on salt but also on sweeteners and it’s going to reward if

You will products that are rich in iron and calcium now some brands have already dropped the label because it’s not mandatory such as uh and I sure because you live in France you know this brand the organic brand buor and it’s an organic brand so this is uh making quite

A Ruckus here in France because they decided to drop it two months before the beginning of the year so that people wouldn’t see the drop in the grades I see uh now thank you so much we’ve seen uh this also though in other countries not just we’re we’re seeing it we’re

Going to be seeing it uh shortly in Canada they’re going to roll out a label uh and we’re seeing it in Chile as well in Peru uh but this time they’re actually trying to have a little bit more information as you can see here they’re giving you they’re telling you

It’s not just a grade and not just ABC they’re telling you it’s high in uh in fat sugars or or sodium so they’re going a little bit more uh in depth so that people have a little bit more information about what the letter actually means all right news we can all

Use at the grocery store Julia sear our health reporter thank you so much

Several countries in Europe, including France, have already adopted the so-called Nutri-Score, a food ranking system displayed on packaging aimed at helping people choose healthier food. The system essentially gives food and drink items a score from A to E based on their key ingredients, such as sugar, salt and fibre. But the algorithm is now changing to better reflect nutritional reality, as FRANCE 24’s Julia Sieger explains.

Read more about this story in our article: https://f24.my/A2n7.y

🔔 Subscribe to France 24 now: https://f24.my/YTen
🔴 LIVE – Watch FRANCE 24 English 24/7 here: https://f24.my/YTliveEN

🌍 Read the latest International News and Top Stories: https://www.france24.com/en/

Like us on Facebook: https://f24.my/FBen
Follow us on X (Twitter): https://f24.my/Xen
Browse the news in pictures on Instagram: https://f24.my/IGen
Discover our TikTok videos: https://f24.my/TKen
Get the latest top stories on Telegram: https://f24.my/TGen