Foodwatch demands mandatory Nutri-Score - Nutri-Score's voluntary system fails to guide German shoppers effectively

Five years after its launch in Germany, the Nutri-Score labelling system remains a voluntary scheme for food producers. While designed to help shoppers pick healthier options, the system's impact is limited by inconsistent adoption. Consumer groups are now pushing for stricter rules to make the tool more effective in supermarkets.

The Nutri-Score system rates food products from 'A' (healthiest) to 'E' (least healthy) by analysing nutrients like sugar, fat, and salt, as well as beneficial elements such as fibre and protein. Introduced in Germany in 2019, it aims to simplify healthy choices for consumers at a glance.

Currently, 960 companies covering 1,420 brands use the label voluntarily. Despite this, only a small fraction of supermarket products actually display the Nutri-Score, reducing its practical use for comparisons. A recent survey found that 78% of shoppers encounter the label frequently or very often. However, just 31% rely on it when making purchases, largely because so few items carry the rating. This patchy adoption has led consumer advocacy group Foodwatch to call for mandatory implementation. Foodwatch has now urged the German Food and Agriculture Minister to enforce Nutri-Score nationally. The move comes as EU-wide negotiations on standardised food labelling remain stalled, leaving individual countries to decide their own approach.

Without broader participation, the Nutri-Score system continues to play a minor role in grocery decisions. A mandatory rollout could increase its visibility and usefulness for shoppers. For now, the label's effectiveness depends on whether more brands choose to adopt it voluntarily.