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The Minister of Agriculture, José Manuel Fernandes, explained today in Luxembourg that he had canceled the order on ‘Nutri-Score’ labeling in Portugal because it harms foods such as olive oil compared to soft drinks with sweeteners.
“It’s nonsense to put olive oil in a more dangerous situation for health than some drinks,” said the minister, in statements to journalists, emphasizing that Portugal advocates a harmonized system for labels in the European Union (EU).
José Manuel Fernandes stated that he defends the interest and specificities of Portugal.
On the 11th, the Government annulled the current order on ‘Nutri-Score’ labeling, considering this diploma to be illegal and incorrectly assessing the nutritional profiles.
According to a press release, after a study that tested the algorithm on which the simplified labeling system ‘Nutri-Score’ is based on foods, reservations were raised, as “the results were not consistent with dietary recommendations”.
The ‘Nutri-Score’ nutritional logo, a small image with colored segments displayed on packages, is based on a scale from A to E and from green to red, which aims to show whether the food to be purchased is more or less healthy, showing green that the product is healthy and red that it is less healthy.
Fernandes’ statements were made on the sidelines of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Luxembourg, the last meeting under the Belgian presidency, which ends at the end of the month.