French grocery giant Carrefour is demanding that suppliers include Nutri-Score labels on product information displayed online.
And the retailer, which has used the Nutri-Score nutrition labels on its own-brand products since 2019, said suppliers that oppose the move will be named and shamed on its website.
Nutri-Score, a colour-coded system on nutritional quality, was launched in France in 2017 in a bid to give consumers an at-a-glance ranking of a product on a scale running from A to E.
It has been adopted by some European countries and major retailers, but, while some food manufacturers are using the system, others have criticised the scheme.
In September, French dairy heavyweight Danone revealed plans to remove the labels on its dairy and plant-based drinks sold in Europe.
Danone is unhappy with changes made to the scheme which placed dairy and plant-based beverages in the same category as soft drinks.
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The Activia and Alpro owner said the change creates “a major inconsistency”.
Carrefour has given its suppliers three months to comply with its request.
In a statement sent to Just Food, Carrefour said: “To facilitate comparisons between one product and another, and to be fully effective, the Nutri-Score must be adopted and used widely.
“While Carrefour now has nearly 5,000 Carrefour products committed to the approach, only 41% of national brands currently offer it on their products. In order to help its customers make informed choices, Carrefour now asks all of its suppliers to display the Nutri-Score of each of their products on its e-commerce site.”
If national brands fail to tell Carrefour the Nutri-Score of each product, the retailer will calculate the information itself on the basis of the available data.
“Carrefour will then indicate on the product sheet of each reference concerned the brands that refuse to participate in the approach,” it said.
National brands that do not wish to communicate the Nutri-Score will be excluded from Carrefour’s Alternative for Better Eating tool on its website, the retailer said.
Carrefour said it considers Nutri-Score as “an essential selection criterion to help its customers eat better”,
It added: “Widely recognised, it provides information on the nutritional quality of products and has a simple and readable display mode, understandable by all.”
This is not the first time Carrefour has taken a tough line with its suppliers over issues it considers important. Its Top 100 Climate Suppliers initiative de-lists from its stores manufacturers which do not have a climate trajectory by 2026.
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