From the beginning of next year, it will be easier to choose a healthier option at the supermarket. This is due to the new logo that uses colors and letters to show how to evaluate a product’s composition at a glance. Dutch companies can put a so-called Nutri-Score on the packaging of their products from January 1.
The logo is reminiscent of a traffic light.
Health products can be identified by their logo
When determining the color (dark green to dark orange) and letter (from A to E) of the product, points are allocated per 100 grams, in addition to points for vegetables and fiber, for example, and negative points for sugar and salt, among other things. The final sum of this calculation determines the Nutri-Score. To ensure that vegetable croquettes don’t suddenly get a high score, Nutri-Score specifies that a product must contain at least 40 percent vegetables, fruits and/or legumes per ounce to score.
Anyone walking into a supermarket will see that a muesli bar may have the same logo as a pizza, but the two are not comparable. This is because the calculations are per 100 grams, and a person does not usually eat a whole package of muesli bars in a row, while pizza often serves as a complete meal. Alcohol is the only product excluded from Nutri-Score.
The logo is known from Aviator and other countries
The logo has remained visible for a long time, because some products come from countries where Nutri-Score has already been launched. In addition, Dutch companies have participated in recent months in an experiment originally carrying the French food quality label. However, product formulations are still calculated using an outdated algorithm.
Local companies that participated in the pilot program have until July 1, 2024 to adapt their logo on their packaging or product to the new calculation method, and foreign companies until the end of 2025. Other companies must use the new logo immediately.
This new algorithm proved necessary because the old calculation method often gave a distorted picture, but so far the Nutri-Score is “not perfect” according to the Ministry of Health (VWS). Moreover, the goal is to choose the product with the best composition for the same type of product, but for a healthy diet, the so-called “wheel of five” remains the leader, VWS reports (although nutritionists already considered it outdated a couple of years ago). . For this reason, according to the ministry, it is a particularly useful tool for choosing between foods not included in the disc, such as sauces, biscuits and soft drinks.
So it’s helpful to keep an eye on things yourself. subway Previously presented 10 Healthy Grocery Tips and Tricks.
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