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NeBu

2026-05-26 · 6 min read

What is Nutri-Score, and how do you read it?

From A to E, green to red — the Nutri-Score label summarises a product's nutritional quality at a glance. How is it calculated, what changed in the 2023 revision, and what does it show (and not show) on the label? A clear, science-backed guide.

  • nutri-score
  • nutrition
  • food labelling
  • healthy eating

If you have ever picked up a product and spotted a colour-coded band running from A to E — deep green on one end, bright red on the other — that was almost certainly Nutri-Score. Officially launched in France in 2017, the label has since been adopted in Belgium, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. The goal is straightforward: let shoppers compare the nutritional quality of a food product at a single glance, without having to decode the small-print nutrition table on the back.

In this article we walk through how Nutri-Score is calculated, what changed in the 2023 revision, what the label does and does not tell you, and how NeBu puts this science to work.

What do the letters mean?

Nutri-Score uses a five-step scale:

  • A (dark green): nutritionally the best choice
  • B (light green): good
  • C (yellow): average
  • D (orange): poor
  • E (red): nutritionally the weakest choice

One important nuance: the letter reflects a product's relative position within its own category. A "B" on a breakfast cereal and a "B" on a vegetable oil do not carry the same absolute nutritional meaning — the comparison is most meaningful between similar products.

How is it calculated?

Nutri-Score looks at the nutritional composition per 100 g (or 100 ml) and builds a two-sided balance:

  • Negative points: the score rises as energy (calories), saturated fat, sugar, and salt increase.
  • Positive points: the proportion of fruit, vegetables, and nuts, plus fibre and protein content, brings the score down.

The positive points are subtracted from the negative points. The resulting net score is then mapped to a letter: a low net score pushes toward A; a high net score pushes toward E. In plain terms, less sugar / salt / saturated fat + more fibre / vegetables nudges a product into the green.

The 2023 revision: why is it stricter?

The algorithm is not frozen at its 2017 launch. A European scientific committee updated the scale in 2023 (applied to new products from end of 2023, with transition through end of 2025). The headline changes:

  • Harsher penalties for sugar and salt — products high in sugar or sodium now drop to D or E more readily.
  • A separate algorithm for beverages — for drinks, only water can receive an A; sugar-sweetened beverages have been pulled down the scale.
  • Extra penalty for sweetened ("diet") drinks — being sugar-free is no longer a green guarantee on its own.
  • Milk is now classified as a beverage, and a distinction was introduced between red meat and white meat.

This revision was the scientific community's direct response to criticism that the original formula had been too generous to certain processed products.

What does the label show — and what does it miss?

Nutri-Score is powerful, but it is not enough on its own. Understanding its limits is half the battle of reading it correctly:

  • Shows: the nutritional profile (sugar / salt / fat versus fibre / protein / vegetables), enabling quick comparison between similar products.
  • Does not show: food additives (E-numbers), degree of processing (is this ultra-processed?), origin, or real-world portion size (the score is per 100 g, not per the amount you actually eat).

That is why a natural nut butter scoring a D (high in fat, but nutritious) can be a better choice than a "light" product scoring B that is packed with additives. The letter is not the end of the conversation — it is the beginning.

How does NeBu use this?

NeBu's nutritional score is built on the Nutri-Score scientific foundation — but not as the only axis. We supplement the dimensions Nutri-Score does not cover with dedicated segments:

  • Nutritional quality (Nutri-Score-based) +
  • Additive risk (E-number analysis referenced to EFSA and IARC) +
  • Certification bonuses (organic, halal, local origin).

This lets us surface the nuances a single letter hides — "sugar-free but ultra-processed", "D but all-natural" — so you can see the full picture. Full details of how the score is calculated, with scientific references, are on our /methodology page.

Summary

  • Nutri-Score summarises a product's nutritional profile on an A-E / green-red scale; comparisons are most meaningful within the same category.
  • It is calculated from negative points (energy, saturated fat, sugar, salt) minus positive points (fruit and vegetables, fibre, protein) per 100 g.
  • The 2023 revision tightened penalties for sugar and salt, introduced a separate beverage algorithm (only water gets an A), and added extra penalties for sweetened drinks.
  • It does not cover additives, degree of processing, or origin — which is exactly why NeBu adds extra segments.

Sources

For the full detail of the NeBu methodology, take a look at our /methodology page.