European Commission To Abandon Implementation Of Nutri-Score

The European Commission is likely to abandon plans to implement Nutri-Score, the colour-coded, traffic-light nutritional label, across the EU.

This was revealed by the French broadcaster Radio France, citing a document viewed at the end of 2024 by the NGO Foodwatch.

In this document, Wolfgang Burtscher, the director-general for agriculture at the European Commission, assured that the future proposal for common labelling “will not copy any existing system,” thereby excluding the traffic-light system already in use in France and Belgium.

This decision was reportedly influenced by Italian lobbying efforts in favour of the alternative Nutrinform Battery system, which the country considers a fairer alternative.

Italy was concerned about the widespread adoption of Nutri-Score, which, unlike other labelling systems, is based on 100 grams of product rather than the more industry-friendly ‘portion’ measurement.

The country’s institutions, ministries, and businesses went so far as to claim the label represented an ‘existential threat’ to Italian culinary heritage.

Facing resistance from several countries, the European Commission delayed its planned proposal for standardised food labelling.

While declining to comment on the Radio France report, the Commission reaffirmed its dedication to consumer transparency and informed choices, but offered no new timeline for the labelling proposal.

Its focus, according to an EC spokesperson, remains on finding the “best solution” for consumers.