The company argues that France’s latest update of the nutritional label is illegal
France’s top administrative court will refer the case concerning the Nutri-Score nutrition label to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), according to a decision seen by Euractiv.
Nutri-Score is a voluntary, colour-coded labelling system classifying foods with an algorithm scaling their nutritional value from A-green (best) to E-red (worst). It was first introduced in France in 2017 and has since been adopted by several other European countries, including Germany, Belgium and Spain, where its use is uneven. Others, particularly Italy, are fiercely opposed to it.
The referral, first reported by AFP, follows a request by French dairy group Lactalis to annul a government decree of 14 March 2025, which updated the algorithm used to determine the classification.
The label, they say, is incompatible with the EU regulation on food information to consumers because it also relies on the intake of fruits, vegetables and nuts in a product, and the presence of sweeteners. These elements are not part of the mandatory nutritional information listed in the nutrition declaration under the regulation – such as calories, sugar, or salt.
