A round-table organised by the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) to explore the different front-of-package options within Farm-to-Fork Strategy

European Union citizens are getting fatter with more than half either overweight or obese. Excess weight is a risk factor for other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) including high blood pressure, itself a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke), type 2 diabetes and, potentially, increased risk of complications associated with COVID-19. Eating a healthy diet and regular exercise are two key elements in controlling weight. Yet, spotting healthy products is tricky. To help consumers, and acknowledging that the detailed nutrition information is not readily understood during the weekly shop, a variety of so-called front-of-pack labelling schemes have been developed by governments and the food industry with the intention to make selecting foods within a health diet easier.

With Farm-to-Fork, the European Commission is exploring front-of-pack labels with the aim to make one mandatory scheme EU-wide. Nutri-Score, classifying products from A (good) to E (no so good), has already been implemented in Belgium, France, and Germany, and is in the spotlight for European policymakers. However, like all the schemes, Nutri-Score is far from perfect (assigning a food as good or bad is highly nuanced) and has both supporters and detractors.

BEUC hosted the second #ConsumerDebate to explore Nutri-Score from the consumer perspective with representatives from the European Commission DG SANTE, the German EU Presidency, Delhaize and Nestlé, and national consumer groups.

Find out more about Nutri-Score here.

BEUC is an umbrella organisations, founded in 1962, which is based in Brussels (BE), bringing together 45 European consumer organisations from 32 countries.