Dutch supermarket chain Albert Heijn has revealed plans to extend the Nutri-Score nutrition labelling system to all of its products in the Netherlands.
Nutri-Score, a colour-coded system ranking food products according to their nutritional value, will be added to products in-store through electronic price tags, and on the retailer’s online shopping channel and app.
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Albert Heijn adopted the labelling scheme in 2022, with the logo being visible on front-of-pack for around 6,000 of its own-brand products.
The group will now roll out Nutri-Score for all of its “A-brands” (well-known brands) in phases, starting with dairy products, breakfast cereals and snacks.
Once the logo has been applied to those categories, “all relevant A-brand products will be provided with Nutri-Score in the coming weeks”.
“As a supermarket, we want to make healthier choices easier and more attractive,” said Marit van Egmond, CEO of Albert Heijn.
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By GlobalDataA spokesperson told Just Food that the retailer was “in favour of widespread implementation of Nutri-Score, the official food choice logo in the Netherlands”.
The spokesperson added: “We have informed our suppliers about this initiative and are actively involving them in this step. Most suppliers understand the importance of transparency towards consumers and support the initiative.”
The company did not confirm whether the move also applies to its stores in Belgium.
Established in 2017 in France, the Nutri-Score system seeks to make it easier for consumers to assess the nutritional value of different foods by displaying the credentials on a coloured rating scale running from A to E.
The labelling system is voluntary in a clutch of EU member states, such as Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, France and Spain.
Albert Heijn isn’t the only retailer pushing for adoption of the logo.
In November, French supermarket giant Carrefour announced it would be demanding suppliers include Nutri-Score on product information displayed online.
It also said at the time that it would name and shame suppliers that opposed the move on its website.
Some manufacturers have refused to adopt the logo on their products. In September, France’s Danone said it would be removing Nutri-Score from its dairy and plant-based drinks sold in Europe.
The French dairy giant adopted the scheme in 2019, but it decided to pull back as revisions made to the criteria placed dairy and plant-based beverages in the same category as soft drinks.
The Activia and Alpro owner said the change created “a major inconsistency”.
