Nestlé has announced plans to discontinue Nutri-Score labels on products exclusively sold in Switzerland.
The world’s largest food company, which claims to have pioneered the adoption of these front-of-pack nutrition labels in 2019, will continue to use Nutri-Score in other European markets.
This decision impacts several brands, including Cailler and Chokito chocolates, Thomy mayonnaise, Leisi pastry, Incarom coffee, as well as Nestea, Henniez, and Romanette drink brands.
A Nestlé spokesperson said that the labels will be gradually phased out starting this summer.
The Nutri-Score rating system has been applied across all Nestlé’s branded products in the non-EU country, encompassing breakfast cereals produced through its Cereal Partners Worldwide joint venture with General Mills.
International brands available in Switzerland will retain their Nutri-Score labels.
Nestlé explained that since embracing this labeling system in 2019, the usage of Nutri-Score has declined significantly.
According to the spokesperson, “Support for this nutritional labelling has significantly decreased in the country. Today, Nestlé’s local Swiss brands are often the only ones using Nutri-Score within their product categories.”
“The low adoption of Nutri-Score in Switzerland, combined with a decline in political support, means that it can no longer effectively serve its primary purpose of helping consumers compare the nutritional value of products in the same category.”
Nutri-Score ranks nutritional value using a color-coded system from A to E, remaining a voluntary label in the EU despite hopes for mandatory adoption.
In 2023, changes to the scoring algorithms sparked controversy, causing some SKUs to fall into less favorable brackets.
In response to this controversy, Danone decided last year to remove Nutri-Score labels from its dairy and plant-based beverages sold across Europe, citing concerns regarding the new algorithm.
Nestlé maintains that its choice to remove labels from local Swiss products is unrelated to this change.
The spokesperson stated, “In June 2024, we announced our decision to endorse the new Nutri-Score algorithm to guide consumers toward healthier choices.”
“We are committed to implementing this new algorithm for our relevant products in line with the two-year transition period established by the countries endorsing Nutri-Score.”
“Importantly, this decision pertains specifically to the Swiss market and does not impact Nestlé’s ongoing support for Nutri-Score in other European nations where governments favor this labeling.”
Other EU countries adopting this voluntary system include France, Belgium, Spain, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.
Recently, Portugal rejected the introduction of Nutri-Score labels, citing potential for “confusing classifications” following a governmental change.
Similarly, Italy assessed in 2022 that the labeling criteria could be misleading. The country’s competition authority noted that Nutri-Score is based on an algorithm and scientific evaluations that are not universally accepted.
