Estonia submits Nutri-Score bill for review — ERR News

In Estonia, a bill allowing the voluntary use of the color-coded Nutri-Score food labeling system has been submitted for feedback from businesses, interested organizations and ministries. The French rating system uses a letter and color scale, and its use in the country requires state approval, ERR News reports.

Manufacturers’ position

Leibur, a major Estonian bakery products manufacturer, supports the introduction of a common and transparent rating system, although some of its key products have only a yellow C rating. Leibur Baltics Production Director Anni Talts noted that Nutri-Score is already used in about seven Central European countries.

According to her, the absence of such labeling could put Estonian producers at a disadvantage in competition with imported goods. Having the label could also make it easier to enter Central European markets under their own brand.

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At the same time, some manufacturers consider the system overly simplified. Maido Solovyov, CEO of dairy producer Valio Eesti, said it does not take the needs of a balanced diet into account. He cited the example of Italian-style Forte hard cheeses, which contain important vitamins and minerals but receive a lower rating in this system than Coca-Cola Zero.

Assessment by the ministry and consumers

Estonia’s Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture is analyzing public health goals, the positions of stakeholders and economic consequences. Hellika Kallaste, an adviser at the Food Safety Department, explained that Nutri-Score is intended to make nutritional information easier for shoppers to understand, while acknowledging manufacturers’ concerns over low ratings for their products.

Some imported goods, including Lidl private-label products, already carry such labeling. According to a study commissioned by Lidl, more than one-third of respondents in Estonia find nutritional information on packaging difficult to understand. Although Nutri-Score is not planned to become mandatory, consumer expectations and competitors’ decisions may encourage companies to use the system.