Two years after its launch, this is also an opportunity to take stock of Nutri-Score, a flagship initiative of the National Nutrition and Health Program (PNNS) as it aims both to change behaviors and encourage improvements in the nutritional quality of foods. Increasingly visible on packaging, it is widely supported by the French public, according to the third wave of the Santé publique France survey.

The main priorities of the 4th PNNS

• Improving the food and physical environment for everyone to make it more conducive to health and to reduce social health inequalities:

  • This involves, in particular, the rollout of Nutri-Score, including in institutional food services, to enable everyone to make informed choices. France supports and encourages its development at the European level.

  • Work with industry stakeholders will begin in 2020 to reduce the salt, fat, and sugar content of foods, while increasing fiber content. France has committed to the WHO to reduce French salt consumption by 30% by 2025.

• Encouraging healthy behaviors:

  • The manger-bouger.fr website will be updated with the new nutritional recommendations. The next public awareness campaign to promote them is scheduled to begin on October 22 and run for three weeks

  • Nutrition education will be expanded from preschool through high school, with educational tools made available

• Improving care for people who are overweight, undernourished, or living with chronic diseases:

  • By increasing doctors’ prescriptions for adapted physical activity and promoting the practice of adapted physical activity for people with chronic diseases

  • By establishing a “National Malnutrition Awareness Week” aimed at raising awareness each year among the general public, healthcare professionals, and social sector workers about this condition, which particularly affects our elderly population.

• Fostering regional momentum: by 2023, in every department, innovative local initiatives will be promoted, and an annual conference will be organized to share best practices.

• Developing research, expertise, and surveillance to support nutrition policy

Nutri-Score: Increasingly Visible

The Nutri-Score logo addresses a need expressed by the French public for clear nutritional information. Nutri-Score is being used more and more and is also better recognized by consumers, according to the third wave of the Santé publique France survey on French people’s knowledge and perception of the Nutri-Score logo¹.

French consumers seeking clear nutritional information

As French consumers become increasingly mindful of their diet, they consider nutritional quality to be one of the criteria in their product choices (85%). Thirteen percent report using an evaluation tool (apps, logos, etc.) to assess it, an increase of 11 percentage points compared to April 2018.

Nutri-Score is becoming increasingly visible on store shelves

Based on the voluntary commitment of manufacturers and retailers, the use of Nutri-Score and its visibility at points of sale rose from 36% in April 2018 to 65% in May 2019. More than 180 manufacturers and retailers use Nutri-Score.
Furthermore, when asked, “Is the Nutri-Score logo easy to spot on packaging?”, 85% of French consumers agree (+4 percentage points).

A real influence on purchasing behavior

Created to inform and guide consumers in a simple and accessible way, Nutri-Score influences food choices for more than 4 in 10 people who are familiar with the logo, compared to just 3 in 10 in April 2018.
Among those familiar with the logo, its presence has altered or amplified certain behaviors. Nearly a quarter of them believe that Nutri-Score has already led them to:

• Make lasting changes to certain eating habits (25%, +10 points compared to April 2018)

• Choose a product with a better score over one with a lower score within the same aisle (24%, +10 points)

• Limit their purchases of products with lower scores (23%, +9 points)

• Switch brands for the same product (23%, +12 points)

Two years after its official launch, awareness of this nutritional labeling has risen sharply, from 58% in April 2018 to 81% in May 2019. The French are increasingly incorporating it into their daily lives. Three times as many people today as a year ago have purchased a food product featuring the Nutri-Score (41% in May 2019 versus 13% in April 2018).

Finally, nearly 9 in 10 French people say they support making it mandatory.