The Nutri-Score logo: a tool for the Moroccan consumer

• Main Authors: Hassan AGUENAOU, Chantal JULIA, Amina EL HAJJAB, Pilar GALAN, Hicham EL BERRI, Mostapha BRAHIMI, Jamal BELKHADIR, Jaâfar HEIKEL, Serge HERCBERG
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II 2018-09-01
• Series: Revue Marocaine des Sciences Agronomiques et Vétérinaires
• Subjects: Nutritional logo; processed foods; simple sugars; saturated fatty acids; sodium and calories
• Online Access: https://www.agrimaroc.org/index.php/Actes_IAVH2/article/view/584

The National Action Plan for Reducing the Consumption of Salt, Sugar and Fat (Saturated and Trans) 2017-2021 (PANSSG-2017-2021) aims to collaborate with the food industry in order to gradually reduce salt, sugar and fat in processed products and to educate the general public about health risks associated with excess consumption of salt, sugar and fat. One of the actions of the PANSSG (number 17) deals with the establishment of a label or a Nutri-Score logo attesting overall nutritional quality of foods and that maximum salt, sugar and fat contents abide by national standards. The Nutri-Score logo is a color logo with letters describing 5 classes of nutritional quality, ranging from green (associated with the letter A, considered as”nutritionally” favorable) to dark orange/red (associated with the letter E, considered as “nutritionally unfavorable”). The establishment in Morocco of a nutritional logo on food packaging can contribute to raise the consumer awareness of the overall nutritional quality of foods (including content levels of sugar, fat, salt and caloric density). It also encourages food industry to improve the nutritional quality of their products by reducing the content of these health risk nutrients so that they can benefit from a favorable positioning on the Nutri-Score logo.