If you think back to the ‘shrinkflation’ labels Carrefour slapped on its shelves last year, the French retailer is known for taking a somewhat counterintuitive approach when it comes to suppliers.
This week, Carrefour announced a similar move that could, among other major manufacturers, jeter un pavé dans la mare (that put the cat among the pigeons for our UK readers).
But the retailer’s latest announcement comes against a backdrop of debate in France over a sugar tax.
Carrefour requires suppliers to include Nutri-Score information on products sold through carrefour.fr
And the retailer, which has used Nutri-Score nutrition labels on its brand’s products since 2019, said manufacturers opposing the move would be named on its website.
The voluntary Nutri-Score labels, designed in France and used in several European countries, have long been a controversial system, loved by campaigners but a source of consternation among other manufacturers (and even governments).
In September, another original sponsor, Danone, removed the labels from some of its products after complaining about changes to the way A to E points are calculated.
Danone (and French peer Lactalis) refused to be drawn into Carrefour’s move, pointing out. Just Eating to ANIA, the trade body for the French food industry. ANIA had not returned requests for comment at the time of writing. No Mondelez or Ferrero.
Nestlé, however, responded. “Our aim is to continue to encourage consumers to use Nutri-Score as a tool to provide clear nutrition labeling on packages. This is why we accept the measure presented by Carrefour, as it will help consumers to compare products and make informed decisions and a more healthy and balanced diet,” said the French company’s subsidiary .
Carrefour’s decision was applauded by Serge Hercberg, one of the French academics who founded Nutri-Score, in the 2010s. “Congratulations to Carrefour! Food transparency is the consumer’s right and the producer’s duty.
It is not uncommon for Ferrero, Coca-Cola, Lactalis, Mars, Mondelez, Danone, Bjorg… to refuse to display the Nutri-Score on their products, knowing that it is useful information to help consumers make informed decisions when purchasing,” Hercberg posted on LinkedIn.
This seller’s initiative is also supported by campaigners. “If more products are labeled with a Nutri-Score, it will be more useful for consumers, allowing them to compare nutrition in the supermarket,” said Emma Calvert, senior food policy officer at BEUC, pan-European. consumer advocacy group, was told Just Eating.
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