Shoppers may have noticed a colored letter system, from A to E, on some food packaging — known as the Nutri-Score, and which provides a quick and simple assessment of a product's overall nutritional value.

The system is common in many EU nations including Belgium, the Netherlands, and France.

Hellika Kallaste, adviser at the ministry's food safety department, said the intention is to introduce a similar system here in Estonia.

Which exact system will be adopted will be determined in the course of discussions, Kallaste said, adding it would be info producers would display voluntarily.

"It is true, nutritional information is already provided on packaging — usually on the back — but it is often hard to spot, and understanding it requires some background knowledge. This is where labeling like this can come to the consumer's aid," she told "Aktuaalne kaamera."

Kallaste noted that the labeling system would not account for every possible food content aspect, however. "For example, it would not take into account specific ingredients, animal welfare, pesticide residues, or similar factors. It would be primarily based on nutritional information."

Kallaste stressed that the system also would not replace all dietary recommendations but would instead serve as a helpful and quick reference point. "All general dietary principles remain the basis: The food pyramid; the plate rule. The labeling is just one supportive tool that can assist consumers and can work well in a store environment, where the range of choices between different products is very wide."

Companies could also be encouraged to adopt the system through the potential competitive advantage they might have highlighting the positive qualities of their products, Kallaste added. "Naturally, this motivation may be directly related to the product or product portfolio being sold. We cannot expect everyone to join if it is voluntary, but we do know there are businesses interested in doing so," Kallaste said.

The Nutri-Score, also known as the 5-Color Nutrition label, simplifies the overall nutritional value of food products by assigning products a rating letter from A (best) to E (worst), with associated colors from green to red, reflecting the product's nutritional quality. High content of fruits, vegetables, fibers, protein, and healthy oils (e.g., rapeseed, walnut, olive oils) per 100g promotes a better score, while high energy, sugar, saturated fatty acids, and sodium per 100g leads to a detrimental score. France was the first country to use the system, which has been recommended by other EU countries and the European Commission, as well as the World Health Organization.

Controversy has arisen in some EU countries due to its methodology, which some critics argue may promote highly processed foods and devalue natural, organic, or regional products; since it is not intended for comparing products across different categories, consumers may misinterpret the score system if they are not aware of this fact. The system also does not guarantee a balanced diet by simply choosing products with the highest ratings, critics say.

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