The Nutri-Score helps the consumer to identify sugary foods and thus contributes to a healthier diet. That’s what scientists at the University of Göttingen report after a study in the journal “PLOS One”. Thus, the product label neutralizes misleading information about sugar. The Nutri-Score measures the amount of sugar, fat, salt, fiber, protein or proportion of fruits and vegetables per 100 grams of a food.
With statements like “no added sugar”, companies often give the impression that products are healthier than they actually are, writes the team led by Kristin Jürkenbeck, from the chair “Marketing for Food and Agricultural Products”. Nutri-Score helps consumers debunk such inaccurate claims.
What does the Nutri-Score say?
The Nutri-Score measures the amount of sugar, fat, salt, fiber, protein or proportion of fruits and vegetables per 100 grams of a food. The resulting total value is shown on a five-stage scale: from “A” to dark green field for the most favorable balance through a yellow “C” to a red “E” for the most unfavorable.
Almost all Austrians (92%) underestimate their own sugar consumption many times over. Experts warn of the risk of serious complications such as diabetes and obesity. Seven out of ten seem to be aware of the health consequences of consuming too much sugar – they want to reduce their sugar consumption. A good resolution when considering that in this country everyone consumes an average of 33.3 kilos of sugar in raw form, processed foods or drinks.
That’s about 91 grams a day. The World Health Organization (WHO), on the other hand, recommends consuming less than 10% of daily calories from sugar. Even better would be just 5%, which results in 18.3 kilos or 9.1 kilos of sugar per person per year. The recommended amount of sugar would therefore be 50 or ideally 25 grams of sugar a day, i.e. six teaspoons, which should be included in food or drinks in total.