Nestlé plans to remove Nutri-Score labels from products the company sells exclusively in Switzerland.
The world’s largest food company, which claims to have “pioneered the adoption” of the nutrition front-of-pack labels in 2019, will continue to use Nutri-Score in other European countries.
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Nestlé’s decision covers chocolate brands Cailler and Chokito, Thomy mayonnaise, Leisi pastry, Incarom coffee and drinks brands Nestea, Henniez and Romanette.
A Nestlé spokesperson told Just Food it will “gradually” start removing the labels from this summer.
The company confirmed the colour-coded Nutri-Score rating system has been applied to all of its branded products in the non-EU country, including breakfast cereals under its Cereal Partners Worldwide joint venture with US food major General Mills.
Its international brands sold in Switzerland will continue to display the Nutri-Score labels.
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By GlobalDataNestlé explained that since adopting the labelling system in 2019 – it was first launched in France two years earlier – the use of Nutri-Score had declined.
“Support for this nutritional labelling has significantly decreased in the country and today Nestlé’s local Swiss brands are often the only ones carrying Nutri-Score in the product categories they are present in,” a spokesperson said.
“The low adoption of Nutri-Score in Switzerland, combined with decreased political support, creates a situation where Nutri-Score can no longer effectively fulfil its primary role of enabling consumers to compare the nutritional value of products within the same category.”
Nutri-Score ranks the nutritional value of products based on colour-coded ratings of A to E, and remains a voluntary labelling system in the EU, despite hopes it would eventually be adopted as mandatory.
A change in the algorithms used to score the products in 2023 created controversy, however, with some SKUs falling into brackets they deemed unfavourable.
Amid the controversy, Danone took the decision last year to remove Nutri-Score labels from its dairy and plant-based drinks sold in Europe, citing the new algorithm.
Nestlé insisted its decision to remove the labels on its local Swiss products was not related to the change.
The spokesperson said: “In June 2024, we announced our decision to endorse the new Nutri-Score algorithm to support consumers in making more nutritious choices.
“We are now focused on rolling out the new algorithm on our in-scope products, in alignment with the two-year transition period defined by the countries that are officially endorsing Nutri-Score.
“This decision is specific to the Swiss market and does not affect Nestlé’s support for Nutri-Score in other European countries. Nestlé continues to support and implement Nutri-Score in other European countries where governments are favourable to this nutritional labelling.”
Other EU members that have adopted the voluntary system include France, Belgium, Spain, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
Portugal pulled back from introducing the labels last year following a change of government, claiming Nutri-Score could lead to “confusing classifications”.
Similarly, Italy concluded in 2022 that the labelling criteria could be construed as misleading. The country’s competition body said at the time that Nutri-Score “is developed on the basis of an algorithm and on scientific evaluations not universally recognised and shared”.
