Deco Proteste wants Parliament to recommend the Government to adopt Nutri-Score
DECO PROTESTE, a consumer protection organization, wants the Government to adopt the Nutri-Score, the colorful nutritional logo on the front of the packaging that helps consumers choose healthier foods.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he organization will deliver a dossier to parliamentary groups and the Government and invites consumers to sign the open letter to demand the Nutri-Score as an official nutritional information scheme in Portugal, which is available at www.nutri-scorenorotulo.pt.
Interpreting the nutritional value of a packaged food can be a puzzle due to the list of ingredients and nutritional tables, which, while relevant, are complex, difficult to interpret and require time to analyze. Research by DECO PROTESTE, in April 2021, reveals that 59% of respondents are unable, or find it difficult, to understand whether the information on the nutrition label is complete. Interpreting it is not available to four out of ten respondents. Two out of ten even say they do not understand the impact of food on health.
Some studies prove that Nutri-Score is an intuitive scheme. It is still well understood by people with little knowledge of nutrition and low socioeconomic status, which makes Nutri-Score a tool that helps to combat social inequalities. The logo has already been adopted, on a voluntary basis, in seven European countries, bringing together the support of several consumer associations and the consensus among hundreds of scientists and health professionals.
“If we want consumers to eat better, with more quality, diversity and more evenly, we must help them to interpret nutritional labels and choose the best products”, explains Dulce Ricardo, Coordinator of the food area at DECO PROTESTE. “We have to deliver more information to the consumer, that he can decipher immediately when he looks at the label, hence, for an organization like DECO PROTESTE, Nutri-Score is essential and its adoption is essential in our country”, he concludes.
In Portugal there are 5.9 million overweight people and the number of diabetics amounts to 1 million. Both obesity and diabetes are chronic diseases associated with inadequate nutrition. The time has come to act and support the Portuguese in adopting healthy diets that promote health and well-being.
