[vc_column_textCover: two types of labelling compared. Compiled 14 November 2024, updated 4 March 2025
This article is also in the “Social” section of this site because it is the poorest part of the population that eats the worst, also due to a lack of reliable information about food.
NutrInform Battery, the Italian nutritional labelling answer
Roberto Pacifico15 February 2024
The NutrInform Battery App will be communicated in thousands of Italian retail outlets. It will help consumers make informed and conscious choices
The European Commission is due to decide in the coming months on a single nutritional labelling system that member states could adopt. The NutrInform Battery is Italy’s answer to the traffic light systems that classify foods into good (green sticker) and bad (red sticker), without taking into account useful information on recommended portions and real nutritional contributions of foods. Federdistribuzione, Ancc-Coop, Ancd Conad, the three associations representing modern distribution, promote the Italian proposal for nutritional labelling, created to help consumers make informed and conscious choices at the table, following a healthy and balanced diet.
From 15 February 2024, thousands of points of sale of the distribution companies that are members of the three associations will promote the use of the app dedicated to the Nutrinfom Battery, with communication initiatives aimed at the millions of Italians who do their shopping every day. The dedicated app can be downloaded free of charge and allows to know the nutritional impact of the foods we consume during the day, suggesting the consumption of appropriate portions, combining different foods in the right way. The NutrInform Battery app is fully operational and already allows access to nutritional information using codes found on thousands of products on the market.
“We are facing a crucial challenge that requires the collective commitment of the entire agri-food system and companies, both at national and European level,” says Adolfo Urso, Minister for Business and Made in Italy. It is essential to guarantee the right to information for consumers and to counter unfair competition practices. We appreciate the support and responsibility shown by modern distribution companies, which are joining us in this important initiative’
‘This is an important signal and contribution that the sector wants to make in favour of Italian agri-foodstuffs and consumers,’ commented Federdistribuzione, Ancc-Coop and Ancd Conad, the three associations that signed the Memorandum of Understanding with the government. We are faced with a question of safeguarding our food excellence and respecting correct information in people’s purchasing choices. Our commitment will therefore be to promote in the coming months the use of an innovative and digitised tool, which works on product coding standards that are already in use and which will be able to accompany all of us in a conscious consumption of food.
- large multinationals, such as Ferrero and Lactalis, have made a wall against the Nutriscore
- others, such as Danone, in France, have adopted an ambiguous attitude
- but above all, as a LinkedIN user points out, in Italy none of this has happened.
- possible clash in the EU over food labelling: Carrefour France is imposing Nutri-Score on all suppliers, including major brands – such as Coca-Cola, Ferrero, Mondelez – who persist in hiding the nutritional profiles of their products.
- In Italy comes the Nutri-score on 100products
- Nutriscore, Europe goes backwards? (*)
The end result is this: Too much confusion on food labels according to the European Court of Auditors, to this – exceedingly chaotic – situation should be added shrinkinflation labelling (for which Italy risks EU infringement proceedings).
For this reversal, the Italian government would already be celebrating, what we do not know because we are promoting a system, the Nutrinform, which is useless, and we do not see any valid alternatives on the horizon. It is not enough to destroy, we should also build: if there is to be a new labelling system, it will take years to implement it, because the efficacy studies will have to be redone from scratch.
