Understanding the labels

Nutri-Score: the nutritional quality at a glance

The Nutri-Score grades the overall nutritional quality of a food from A (dark green) to E (dark orange). It was designed by French public health researchers and adopted by Santé publique France in 2017.

The five grades

Nutri-Score A
The best nutritional quality.
Nutri-Score B
Good nutritional quality.
Nutri-Score C
Average nutritional quality.
Nutri-Score D
Lower nutritional quality: to eat less often.
Nutri-Score E
The lowest nutritional quality: to eat in small amounts.

How the grade is computed

The grade is worked out for 100 g or 100 ml of the product. Points are added for what is best limited and removed for what is good to eat; the final score gives the letter. The rules were updated in 2023 and 2024, notably to be stricter on sugar and salt.

Counts against

− energy (calories)
− sugars
− saturated fat
− salt

Counts in favour

+ fruit, vegetables and legumes
+ fibre
+ protein

It is most useful to compare similar products, for example two breakfast cereals or two pizzas, rather than a cheese with a soda.

Keep in mind

It does not take processing into account: an ultra-processed product can still get a good grade. The NOVA group tells you about that.
A balanced diet can include foods graded D or E, in small amounts and not too often.
In Bouff'app, the grade comes from Open Food Facts. When nutrition facts are missing there, no grade is shown.