How to choose the best food product? Publication of a report on food labelling drafted by the researchers at MUW

For several months now, selected food products sold in Poland and other EU countries are marked with five-colour nutrition labels. They are made under the Nutri-Score labelling system developed in France in 2017. The colours – ranging from dark green to red and the letters – from A to E – are designed to provide consumers with information on the nutritional value. Do the labels provide us with information regarding the products which are desirable in the diet and should be eaten more often or in greater quantities and which products should be limited? The were the questions that researchers from the Faculty of Health Sciences set out to answer with an important study on nutritional labelling of food.

The authors of the Nutri-Score system – the Nutrition Epidemiology Research team (L'Equipe de Recherche en Epidémiologie Nutritionnelle – EREN) intended the five-colour scale to provide simple, easy-to-understand information regarding overall nutritional value. However, the controversies around Nutri-Score have been increasing. Nutritionists argue that the system may be misleading for consumers, as the letter A on a green background, i.e. encouraging frequent consumption is also present on highly processed products. The current nutritional knowledge states that such products should be consumed rarely or not at all.

Specialists from the Faculty of Education and Research in Health Sciences at the MUW: Mariusz Panczyk, PhD and Mariusz Jaworski, PhD as well as the Faculty of Human Nutrition: Iwona Traczyk, PhD, Beata Sinska, PhD and Alicja Kucharska, PhD have just published a report containing answers to multiple pressing issues regarding the system of labelling products with nutritional value on the front of the package. The report is the result of a study carried out by academics including the cooperation of 75 Polish experts who are employed at the most highly-regarded universities and scientific institutes. The analysis covered various food labelling systems, including the aforementioned Nutri-Score.

In the opinion of the majority of the experts included in the study, the labelling on the front of packages is required, however they believe that it should not be replaced by a simple graphical symbol. It must be added that the researchers pointed towards the fact that the Nutri-Score system should be modified as it promotes certain ultra-processed products to the detriment of natural or low-processed foods. And the system does not guarantee that the consumers who select only the products with the highest ranking will be able to optimise their diets.

– Labelling the front side of food packaging is a great idea, however it must be implemented in accordance with the state-of-the-art nutritional knowledge and meet the requirements of the principles of a varied diet – says Mariusz Panczyk, PhD, the head of the study. He goes on to add: – We must strive to continuously educate the public with regards to healthy diet and the labelling system selected for this purpose should make shopping easier, support education and not be misleading to consumers. Such a system must also be recommended by the scientific community, it must be based on a thorough analysis of the available scientific evidence, and the process of implementation and periodic monitoring must be fully transparent. A broad, public debate is required in this area, in particular at a time when the European Commission is working to implement a single system that is going to cover all member states. We kindly invite you to become acquainted with the Report by researchers from the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Medical University of Warsaw regarding the nutritional labelling of food products.