Three years after the launch of Nutri-Score in 2017, the front-of-pack nutrition label is gradually being implemented in France on a voluntary basis by food manufacturers and retailers. Santé publique France, which is responsible for implementing the measure in France, has conducted an annual study since 2018 to track awareness, acceptance, and self-reported impact on purchasing behaviors among the French population. A representative sample of the population is recruited using the quota sampling method and completes an online questionnaire. The most recent round of the survey was conducted in September 2020. The following report summarizes the main results obtained from May 2018 to September 2020.

In September 2020, awareness of Nutri-Score continued to rise, with 93% of the population reporting that they had already heard of or seen Nutri-Score. This result follows the gradual implementation of the logo on packaging since 2017. Nutri-Score is also mentioned more spontaneously, with 18% of the population citing the logo when asked which criteria they use to assess the nutritional quality of foods (vs. 1% in April 2018). Support for the measure, already stable and high, increased in 2020, with 94% of the population in favor of the Nutri-Score appearing on packaging. A similar proportion, 89%, stated they were in favor of making the logo mandatory, although its use remains voluntary. Finally, three out of four participants who were aware of Nutri-Score reported having purchased a product bearing the logo (vs. 22% in April 2018 and 50% in May 2019). Additionally, 57% of the population reported having already changed at least one of their purchasing behaviors as a result of the measure (vs. 43% in May 2019).

These results, indicating growing acceptance of the measure by the French population, are promising for the future of Nutri-Score in France and in other countries that choose to recommend the use of the logo. Conducting similar studies in different cultural and food environments could be valuable for better tracking the dynamics of implementation. Finally, the French Ministry of Health will shortly publish a report assessing the status of the logo’s implementation three years after the launch of Nutri-Score in France, including results from monitoring by Oqali (the French Observatory of Food Quality).