20_08_26_MED_Nutri-score

A team of researchers from the department of Preventive Medicine of the University of Navarra has demonstrated the effectiveness of 'Nutri-Score' food labeling. This system will soon be implemented in Spain as part of a set of public health measures to reverse the epidemic of obesity and chronic non-communicable diseases associated with food.

Experts have shown that the worse the nutritional score (lower nutritional quality) the higher the risk of premature mortality. These findings, which have been published in the prestigious journal Clinical Nutrition, contribute to support the implementation of Nutri-Score in Euro-Mediterranean countries. 

For Maira Bes Rastrollo, professor at the University of Navarra and supervisor of work, "these results coincide with programs of study from other countries and support the establishment of the Nutri-Score in Spain. In addition, it is important to accompany this measure with other educational strategies and broad food policies that favor greater consumption of raw materials and minimally processed foods, according to the traditional Mediterranean food patron saint ".

The researchers conducted a study, under the coordination of Miguel Ángel Martínez, in 20,503 participants of the SUN cohort (University of Navarra Follow-up) and calculated in each volunteer the score 'Nutri-Score' for each food and beverage grouped into 136 categories. From this information they calculated an overall nutritional quality index.

The results conclude that a worse score of this index, which reflected an overall consumption of foods of poorer nutritional quality, is associated with a relative increase in the risk of premature mortality of 82% (with confidence margins between 34% and 147%). Moreover, it generates a strong dose-response trend, i.e., the poorer the nutritional quality, the higher the premature mortality. Specifically, the risk of premature mortality due to cancer increased more than 2-fold.

The model Nutri-Score, a traffic light for quality.

"Current food labels are difficult to understand and are written in small print, which often cannot be read well," says Maira Bes. One solution is food labeling called 'Nutri-Score', which has already been established in France and is like a traffic light that simply and clearly indicates to the consumer how healthy a product is. It is the front labeling model that generates greater consensus in Europe, and which has recently been chosen by the Government of Spain for its implementation.

'Nutri-Score' assigns points based on the nutritional composition per 100 g or 100 ml of each product and takes into account the content of both less healthy elements (calories, sugar, saturated fat and sodium) as well as more favorable ones (fiber, protein and the percentage of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and olive or similar oils in composition). The final score is classified into 5 categories to show a graduation of 5 colors and letters on the front labeling. The best nutritional quality is marked with the letter A and in dark green, and the worst with the letter D and in red. 

The first author of work, Clara Gómez-Donoso, qualifies that "Nutri-Score, despite its scientific support, is not a perfect system. Improvements are needed, including a better distinction of the different types of fats, especially given the important protective role of olive oil in the traditional Mediterranean per diem expenses ". "Thus, in our study we found that giving olive oil the best possible grade (A) was what presented the best results," he adds.