The Estonian Pediatric Association has urged the government to take steps to allow the voluntary use of the Nutri‑Score labeling system. Several other health organizations have signed the appeal.

Seven business associations — including the Food Industry Association, the Chamber of Agriculture and Commerce, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry — sent their own letter to the government, stressing that Estonia should not voluntarily adopt any front‑of‑pack labeling system until the European Union agrees on a unified, science‑based solution that also accounts for food cultures.

Hellika Kallaste, food‑safety adviser at the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, said Nutri‑Score has been discussed strictly in the context of voluntary use. The goal, she said, is simple: to help consumers better understand complex information and support healthier choices.

"Scientific literature confirms that front‑of‑pack labels are more effective than the classic information on the back. The detailed information remains, of course, but it creates complexity — the consumer would have to consider several components at once, such as protein, salt and saturated fat content," Kallaste said.

Nutri‑Score is a public‑sector initiative from France, developed in cooperation with French health organizations. It uses a five‑letter, five‑color scale, displaying one specific letter on the package. Seven countries currently use it: Switzerland, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Spain. Some products with Nutri‑Score labels can also be found in Estonian stores.

Meeli Lindsaar, head of food policy at the Chamber of Agriculture and Commerce, said Nutri‑Score is based on the same information already present on packaging. However, it does not take into account product quality, origin, vitamin content, micronutrients or many other important components of food.

"Nutri‑Score makes a very broad generalization that is not fair from a nutritional standpoint," Lindsaar said. "We cannot agree that this makes things easier for consumers. Choosing food is not simple, and it is certainly not right to signal that quick choices are a good way to change eating habits."

Nutri‑Score's model has been validated using national food databases from France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. At the same time, several EU countries have been critical: Italy has rejected the system, Greece has publicly opposed it, and Romania has put its implementation on hold.

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