Nutri-Score

Nutri-Score is a front-of-pack labeling scheme designed by French food safety agency ANSES and European food safety experts. It uses a color-coded scale from A (green) to E (red) to communicate the overall nutritional quality of food products. The score is calculated based on positive nutrients (fiber, protein, fruits, vegetables) versus negative nutrients (saturated fats, sugars, sodium). This methodology aligns with international standards for food labeling and transparency. In the context of enterprise risk management, Nutri-Score serves as a critical indicator for product-related reputational risk and regulatory compliance, especially under the EU Green Claims Directive. Companies must ensure their scoring-based claims are scientifically verifiable to avoid charges of greenwashing. This is particularly relevant for companies exporting to Europe or operating under international standards like ISO 22000, where nutritional transparency is increasingly scrutinized by both regulators and consumers.

Practical application involves three key steps: First, 'Nutritional Risk Assessment,' where companies audit existing product portfolios against the Nutri-Score scoring algorithm to identify high-risk products (E or D grades). Second, 'RTO (Research, Test, Optimize) Cycles,' where R&D teams adjust ingredients to improve scores—for example, reducing sodium by 10% or increasing fiber by 2g per 100g to shift a product from C to B. Third, 'Compliance Monitoring,' ensuring that labeling-related claims do not violate the EU Green Claims Directive or the UK's Traffic Light Labeling standards. A European snack manufacturer reported a 15% increase in sales volume within six months of upgrading their core product line from C to B under the revised Nutri-Score rules. This demonstrates that proactive compliance can be a competitive advantage rather than just a regulatory burden. Companies should be closely monitoring the EU's ongoing discussions on standardizing these schemes to prepare for future changes.

Taiwan enterprises face three primary challenges: Regulatory Divergence, Data Management Capability, and Cultural Resistance. First, the divergence between Taiwan's Food Safety Hygiene Management Act and the EU's Nutri-Score methodology requires companies to maintain dual compliance frameworks. Second, many SMEs lack the analytical infrastructure to consistently verify nutritional content per batch, which can be addressed by adopting ISO 22000 standards. Third, there is often internal resistance to reformulating products that are popular due to taste but score poorly on the Nutri-Score scale. To overcome these, companies should: 1. Conduct a comprehensive ingredient audit (0-30 days). 2. Implement a digital traceability system to track nutritional data (30-90 days). 3. Align marketing claims with the actual score to prevent greenwashing allegations. These steps ensure the company meets both the EU's strict transparency requirements and the expectations of health-conscious consumers.

Winners Consulting Services Co., Ltd. specializes in Nutri-Score for Taiwan enterprises, delivering compliant management systems within 90 days. Free consultation: https://winners.com.tw/contact