I've posted a lot about food and beverage labeling, largely because there are no real standards that govern the regulation of the practice. The use of Nutri-Score in Europe is the closest thing to a universal labeling system that I've found. Its front-of-package, five color A to E rating to classify the relative health of food products using the UK Food Standard's Agency's nutrient profiling system, has been adopted by numerous EU countries. Several, including Italy, have opted-out.
A major manufacturer, Danone, recently announced it will remove Nutri-Score from its dairy and plant-based drinkable products. The reason is a change in the way Nutri-Score classifies dairy beverages. Previously, milk and similar beverages were considered "general food." Now, they will be part of the beverages category. This means that skim, semi-skimmed, and whole milk will be downgraded from A to B and B to C, respectively. In the beverage category, only water can achieve an A.
Danone is objecting to the revision to the Nutri-Score algorithm, claiming it gives an inaccurate view of the nutritional value of dairy and plant-based products. It also gives rise to the broader question of whether milk products should be considered a beverage or a general food. The fact that there is not agreement on such a fundamental question further evidences the chaos that permeates the food and beverage labeling space.
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