The truths and myths about the Nutri-Score logo

KarmaKarma creates healthy products and only pursues a product idea if it has a Nutri-Score of A. We believe that there is already enough unhealthy food out there, so we find it important to know how to determine a Nutri-Score.

There is quite a bit of controversy and confusion surrounding the Nutri-Score label. For example, you might have seen photos of frozen fries with a Nutri-Score of A. It is often thought that the Nutri-Score is an indicator within a category. However, whether a particular product is truly healthy or not remains unclear. What is the situation?

What is Nutri-Score?

Nutri-Score is an objective formula that provides a good indication of how healthy a product is. While there is a separate approach for beverages and fats, the same methodology applies to all other food products, ranging from grains to frozen foods and ready-made meals. Thus, Nutri-Score is an overarching health score, not a category-specific indicator as sometimes believed.

The score is determined by assessing the amount of energy, saturated fat, sugar, salt, protein, fiber, and the percentage of fruits, vegetables, and nuts per 100 grams. Excessive energy, saturated fat, sugar, and/or salt result in negative points, while higher amounts of fiber, protein, and percentage of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts yield positive points. Therefore, Nutri-Score is a summation of both the positive and negative aspects of an ingredient or recipe, that is independent of the product category. The Nutri-Score label also helps you quickly identify healthier Nutri-Score A products among less healthy options within a category.

How do I use the Nutri-Score then?

What are the limitations of this label?

While Nutri-Score provides a good indication of how healthy a product is, it does not account for everything. For example, the score calculation does not consider the presence of additives, allergens, colorants, chemical sweeteners (like aspartame), or pesticides. Despite knowing that aspartame is unhealthy, many soft drinks still receive a Nutri-Score A. For these indicators, the European organic label is a better guide, but we'll cover that in a future blog.

Moreover, the Nutri-Score label does not take the preparation of food into account. Obviously, if you cook healthy foods like potatoes in a lot of saturated fat, they are no longer healthy. Hence, frozen fries may have a Nutri-Score A, but nobody eats them raw.