Many products can already be found in stores with Nutri-Score labels on their packaging, indicating the healthiness of the product with colors and letters. The so-called food traffic light labeling rule is very simple — the greener it is, the healthier it is.

"The Nutri-Score label takes into account, on the negative side, total energy, saturated fatty acids, salt and sugars, and on the positive side fiber and the content of fruits and vegetables. These are all the aspects we want people to pay attention to in their diet," said Janne Lauk, head of the nutrition field at the National Institute of Health and Research (TAI).

Lauk said the relevant information is already available on packaging, but finding it can prove complicated. A special label would help people make healthier choices.

The European Union initially planned to introduce a labeling system across the bloc, but it was opposed by Italy. Estonia is considering adopting the Nutri-Score system.

"The use of such labels is voluntary, meaning that with this regulation we would essentially simply create the opportunity for Estonian businesses to use Nutri-Score," said Hellika Kallaste, adviser at the food safety department of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Although the use of the label would be voluntary, the Chamber of Agriculture and Commerce still sees it as implicit pressure. It does not consider the Nutri-Score reasonable, as it categorizes food as good or bad.

"The problem with this traffic light is that a person must be very aware when making choices — red does not always mean stop, do not eat or consume. Rather, red may in certain areas indicate a risk that a person may consume too much of it and that it is not the best from a health perspective. But products that are very high in micronutrients, which people also urgently need, may also end up in the red category," said Meeli Lindsaar, head of the food sector at the Chamber of Agriculture and Commerce.

Lindsaar said there is a high risk that people will start comparing incomparable products, such as sausage and ground meat. The traffic light system could also create instances where, for example, among beverages only water is deemed healthy, while whole milk with a high content of calcium and fat-soluble vitamins is considered less healthy.

"Nutri-Score does not classify foods as good and bad, does not say that something is healthy or not. It presents the same nutritional information found on the packaging in a simpler form, using a scale and letters. When we are standing in front of the bread shelf, we can look at the different bread products and then make the better choice there," the Ministry of Agriculture's Kallaste said.

The Nutri-Score is used in France, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland. Estonia will decide by fall if it will join the system.

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