Nutri-Score May Shake up the Plant-Based Alternative Protein Shelf

Nutri-Score is a front-of-pack labeling system that grades food products from A to E according to their nutritional level (see Figure1). It has been launched to nudge consumers to make healthier choices in their food preferences and has already been adopted by several European countries, food companies, and retailers. Luxemburg and the Netherlands are the latest countries that have announced their support for this front-of-pack label, and it is planned to be rolled out in more countries. For more information, read the Rabobank publication ‘Nutri-Score Scores Again!’

As consumer survey results show, health is considered one of the main drivers behind consumers’ choice of plant-based alternative proteins. While consumers perceive these alternatives to be generally healthier than animal proteins, Nutri-Score labeling may challenge their perceptions, as it is designed to create awareness.

Nutri-Score has given most fresh animal protein products an A or B label. For instance, minced beef, fresh salmon fillet, and chicken breast all score an A grade, while beef burger patties and chicken nuggets both score a B grade (see Table 1). For animal proteins, as the processing level increases, the Nutri-Score grade generally decreases. Salamis, sausages, and smoked salmon mostly have D and E grades, due to their higher calorie, salt, and/or saturated fat content.

Compared to beef burgers, plant-based burgers are higher in calories, saturated fat, carbohydrates, sugar, and salt, and they are lower in protein (see Table 2). They do, though, contain fiber, which Nutri-Score considers a positive. There is no discernible pattern in the scores plant-based alternative protein products receive, reflecting quite different formulations and ingredients. Products that at first sight look pretty similar can score between an A or a D, depending on their actual ingredients.

Though Nutri-Score seems to give mixed messages regarding the health profile of plant-based alternative proteins, what Nutri-Score shows is that not all these alternatives are the same, and some are perhaps not as healthy as consumers perceive them to be. Of course, health is not the only reason for consumers to purchase plant-based proteins. People choose these products for different reasons, from animal welfare to sustainability.

It is also interesting to note that some of these alternatives are sold at a price premium in comparison to animal proteins (see Table 2).

We expect Nutri-Score to lead to some product reformulation, particularly of plant-based alternative proteins and, to a limited extent, of animal protein products. In general, plant-based alternative proteins currently range from A to D. As shown in Table 2, similar products, such as a vegan burger patty from two different brands, score very differently. In reformulating products to achieve better scores, processors will need to keep the taste, quality, and price of the product the same, or even better, to retain consumer interest.

The same could be true for processed meat and seafood products, although formulation change could be harder in this segment. For instance, fat reduction in processed red meat could adversely impact the palatability or the tenderness of the product. In response to consumer demand for low-fat red meat, currently some manufacturers are exploring the use of different types of fat replacers to decrease the fat content without impacting the quality. Nutri-Score can give a boost to these efforts.

Nutri-Score applies a measurable score to inform consumers about the relative healthiness of a food product, and we expect it to lead consumers to make different choices between brands or across products. In particular, Nutri-Score could trigger consumers who prefer plant-based alternatives proteins over animal protein (due to perceived healthiness) to question their choices, as alternatives do not score consistently higher than animal proteins.

In general, both for animal protein producers and alternative plant-based protein producers, Nutri-Score can be an advantage if their products are already competitively scored or if they are able to tweak their formulation to increase the score of their offerings. However, Nutri-Score could be a risk if changing the formulation also impacts the taste, price, and quality of the products.