Understanding Nutri-Score: What A–E Really Means

Nutri-Score is a five-letter, colour-coded front-of-pack nutrition label developed in France in 2017 and now used in seven European countries. Its goal: give shoppers an at-a-glance summary of a product's overall nutritional quality. But how is it actually calculated — and can you rely on it?

How the score is calculated

Nutri-Score uses a points-based system on a scale of -15 to +40. Negative points are "good" (you want a lower total score); positive points are "bad."

The final score maps to a letter: A (≤ -1), B (0–2), C (3–10), D (11–18), E (≥ 19). Products are also compared within category — beverages use a different threshold than solid foods.

Where Nutri-Score gets it right

For comparing within a category — two breakfast cereals, two yoghurts, two types of bread — Nutri-Score is genuinely useful. Studies show it correlates well with overall diet quality when used consistently. It's simpler than reading full labels, which most people don't do.

Where it falls short

Nutri-Score has real limitations:

• Olive oil scores D. Despite being a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet, olive oil is penalised for its fat content. The 2023 algorithm revision partially addressed this, but it illustrates the complexity of reducing nutrition to one letter.
• It doesn't reflect processing level. A fruit smoothie and a Diet Coke might score similarly, but one is whole fruit and one is ultra-processed. NOVA classification captures this better.
• Portion size isn't considered. A small piece of dark chocolate (D rating) eaten occasionally is very different from eating a kilogram of it.
• It compares within foods, not diets. A B-rated biscuit is still a biscuit — not a health food.

How to use it intelligently

Use Nutri-Score as a tie-breaker between similar products, not as a definitive health verdict. It's best for: cereal vs. cereal, sauce vs. sauce, bread vs. bread. Don't use it to justify eating a product — use it to choose the better version of something you'd eat anyway.