Is the Nutri-Score Mandatory?

December 25, 2025 •

3 min read

Over 150 independent scientific studies have demonstrated the Nutri-Score's effectiveness in guiding consumer behavior towards healthier food choices. Despite this evidence, its legal status remains a complex issue, with its implementation largely voluntary across adopting countries.

Quick Summary

The Nutri-Score labeling system is not mandatory across Europe, but rather a voluntary scheme for companies in participating countries. This article outlines the legal status, voluntary commitment rules, and the political landscape concerning potential compulsory implementation.

Key Points

Voluntary Status: The Nutri-Score system is currently voluntary for food producers, not mandatory by law.
No EU-Wide Mandate: The European Commission abandoned its plan for a single, mandatory EU-wide labeling system in 2025, leaving the decision to individual countries.
National Adoption: The Nutri-Score is officially adopted on a voluntary basis in several European countries, including France, Germany, Belgium, and Spain.
'No Cherry Picking' Rule: Companies that voluntarily register to use the label must apply it to all products under that registered brand, not just the healthy ones.
Political and Industry Opposition: Efforts to make the Nutri-Score compulsory have faced significant lobbying and political resistance, particularly from certain EU member states like Italy.
Updated Algorithm: The scientific committee regularly updates the Nutri-Score algorithm based on new scientific knowledge, with the latest major update occurring in 2024.

Nutri-Score: Voluntary Status in Participating Nations

As of 2025, the Nutri-Score is not a mandatory labeling system across the European Union. Its use is voluntary for food producers and retailers in the countries that have officially adopted and recommended it, including France, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland. While EU regulations require a detailed nutritional table on all pre-packaged food, they allow for additional, voluntary front-of-pack schemes like the Nutri-Score. The French public health agency, Santé publique France, owns the Nutri-Score trademark, and companies must register with them and agree to a set of conditions to use the logo.

The 'Cherry Picking' Rule for Registered Brands

One critical condition of the Nutri-Score's voluntary adoption is the 'cherry picking' rule, which prevents companies from applying the label only to their healthiest products. Instead, once a company registers a brand, it must commit to displaying the Nutri-Score on all products under that brand that fall within the scope of the system. This commitment ensures a more comprehensive and transparent approach to consumer information, preventing companies from strategically hiding less-favorable scores.

Political and Industry Resistance to Mandatory Status

Despite widespread consumer and scientific support, making the Nutri-Score mandatory has faced significant hurdles. Food industry lobbies, representing interests of major corporations, have actively opposed and obstructed efforts to make front-of-pack nutrition labeling compulsory at the EU level. Some EU member states, notably Italy, have also opposed mandatory implementation, citing concerns related to traditional food products and national gastronomic heritage. This resistance has contributed to the European Commission delaying and ultimately abandoning its initial plans for an EU-wide mandatory front-of-pack labeling scheme.

Comparison Table: Nutri-Score Adoption Status


Country	Year of Adoption/Recommendation	Status	Key Considerations
France	2017	Voluntary	Original implementer; home of Santé publique France, the trademark owner.
Belgium	2019	Voluntary	Adopted voluntarily as a public health initiative.
Germany	2020	Voluntary	Introduced based on consumer research favoring the model.
Luxembourg	2020	Voluntary	Part of the COEN group (Countries Officially Engaged in Nutri-Score).
Netherlands	2021	Voluntary	Confirmed implementation as their national food logo.
Spain	2018	Voluntary	Joined the voluntary initiative early on.
Switzerland	2019	Voluntary	One of the first non-EU countries to adopt the label.
Italy	N/A	Opposed	Pushed for an alternative, non-interpretive label (NutrInform Battery).

Future Outlook: A Continuing Debate

While mandatory EU-wide labeling is off the table for now, the debate is far from over. Consumer advocacy groups like Foodwatch continue to campaign for a compulsory, harmonized system. Additionally, the independent scientific committee governing the Nutri-Score continuously updates the algorithm based on new scientific evidence, as seen with the 2024 update that affected how certain foods and beverages are scored. The system's future will depend on ongoing political developments, consumer pressure, and national decisions, rather than a single, binding EU mandate.

Voluntary Adoption and its Implications

The voluntary nature of the Nutri-Score creates an interesting dynamic within the food industry. Manufacturers can choose whether to participate, but if they do, they are bound by the 'cherry picking' rule to apply it to all products of a registered brand. This voluntary uptake can incentivize food companies to reformulate their recipes to achieve a better score, potentially leading to healthier products on the market. However, critics point out that the voluntary nature allows manufacturers of unhealthy products to simply refuse to display the label, undermining its potential public health impact.

Conclusion

The Nutri-Score is not a mandatory labeling system for food products. While its use is officially recommended and voluntarily implemented in several European countries, companies are not legally required to adopt it. Instead, its deployment relies on voluntary commitments from brands, which must then apply the label consistently across all products of a registered brand. The path towards a compulsory, EU-wide system has been fraught with political and industry resistance, leaving the Nutri-Score's future dependent on continued advocacy and national-level decisions.

Authoritative Outbound Link

For a detailed overview of Nutri-Score, including its calculation and usage regulations, you can refer to the official conditions set by Santé publique France, the trademark owner: Conditions of Use of the trademark « Nutri-Score ».

Frequently Asked Questions

Making Nutri-Score mandatory throughout the EU would require a harmonized, EU-wide regulation. Past proposals have been met with industry lobbying and resistance from some member states, leading the European Commission to abandon a recent plan for mandatory labeling.

As of 2025, countries including France, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland have officially adopted the Nutri-Score on a voluntary basis.

If a company registers to use the Nutri-Score for one of its brands, it is voluntarily committed to displaying the label on all products within that brand category. This prevents companies from only labeling their healthiest items.

The use of the Nutri-Score is regulated by conditions from the trademark owner, Santé publique France. Intentional mislabeling, known as 'prettied up' nutrition facts, can be challenged under unfair competition and trademark laws.

Critics argue that the voluntary nature allows manufacturers of unhealthy products to opt-out of displaying a low score, limiting the system's full potential. However, advocates believe it still encourages participating companies to improve their products and helps consumers compare labeled goods.

The 'no cherry picking' rule is a core condition of using the Nutri-Score. It requires that once a food manufacturer commits to using the label for a brand, they must apply it to all eligible products under that brand, not just those with favorable scores.

A transnational governance structure with a scientific committee oversees Nutri-Score. This committee, with experts from participating countries, reviews scientific literature and proposes updates to the algorithm, ensuring it aligns with current dietary guidelines.