By Yumiq
Does a bad Nutri-Score mean a bad product?
The Nutri-Score is useful but partial. A bad score does not condemn a food, and a good score does not sanctify it. Here’s how to interpret it without making a mistake.
What the Nutri-Score really measures
Is a product rated D or E necessarily "bad"? To answer this, you need to know what the letter summarises. According toSanté publique France, the logo is awarded on the basis of a score calculatedfor 100 g or 100 mL of product. It takes into account:
- what needs to be encouraged: fibre, protein, fruit, vegetables, pulses;
- what needs to be limited: energy, saturated fatty acids, sugars, salt, and sweeteners for drinks.
It is therefore anutritional profile, reduced to a standard quantity. For details of the calculation, seeUnderstanding the Nutri-Score: calculation, grades A to E and limitations.
What it doesn’t measure
Anything not included in the above list is not assessed by the letter. In practice:
- Processing and additives.The authors of a study published in 2024 recall that Nutri-Score and ultra-processing measure two different dimensions: a good score does not exclude ultra-processing (see below).
- The portion.The calculation is made for 100 g: the letter says nothing about the amount you actually eat. A product D consumed in small quantities and rarely does not have the same weight in a day as a product B consumed in large quantities.
- Frequency and context.The logo judges a product, not a diet. It also does not indicate whether the product is appreciated, traditional or suitable for a particular need.
Let us also remember that the logo is affixed by producers on a voluntary basis, according toSanté.fr: the absence of a logo says nothing about the product.
How to read a D or an E
A D or E letter indicates a less favourable nutritional profile: more sugar, salt, saturated fat or energy per 100 g, or less fibre and protein. It does not say that the product is dangerous or prohibited. The purpose of the Nutri-Score, according to Santé.fr, is to help make informed choices and encourage professionals to improve their recipes.
A reasonable interpretation: a D or an E suggests that you shouldlimitthe product or reserve it for occasional use, rather than banning it. This interpretation is a way of understanding the letter, not an individual medical or nutritional opinion.
The case of olive oil and fats
This is the example that is most confusing. Olive oil is a fat: it contains a lot of lipids and therefore a lot of energy per 100 g, which weighs heavily in a calculation based on this. It was therefore rated C.
The algorithm was revised by decree on 14 March 2025. According toService-Public.frandSanté.fr, oils lower in saturated fatty acids, such as olive, rapeseed or walnut oil,move from C to B. Santé.fr specifies that the calculation method has been adapted for added fats, such as butter and oil, without detailing the thresholds.
Two lessons. First, the letter depends on the version of the algorithm: companies have two years from this date to update their packaging, and a "New calculation" box identifies the products concerned. Secondly, even at B, an oil remains very high in calories: the letter compares profiles, it does not say how much to use.
Other surprising cases: drinks
The same revision changed the interpretation of drinks. According to Santé.fr, drinks with sweeteners go from B to a grade between C and E, water is the only drink rated A, and milk and plant-based drinks are calculated using the drink algorithm, to make comparison easier. A "zero" soda is therefore no longer rated as before, and the same product can change its letter without its recipe having changed, which illustrates that a letter only makes sense in a given version of the calculation.
The opposite: well rated, but ultra-processed
An A or a B does not guarantee that the product is minimally processed. A study by Sarda et al. (Public Health Nutrition, 2024), conducted on 129,950 products from the Open Food Facts database, crossed Nutri-Score with NOVA classification. For ultra-processed products (NOVA 4), the proportion rated A or B fell by almost 10 percentage points (around -43%) with the new algorithm. These products therefore remain numerous in obtaining good grades, even though the update has penalised them, particularly sweetened drinks, sweetened plant-based drinks and bakery products.
The authors conclude that the update strengthens consistency with NOVA, while recalling that the two systems measure distinct dimensions. To understand this classification, seeUnderstanding the NOVA classification. On the level of evidence regarding ultra-processing, theANSESnotes a weak association with mortality and certain chronic diseases, and considers the application of NOVA to be partly subjective.
How to read a letter correctly
- Compare within a category: two breakfast cereals, two ready meals. Comparing a yoghurt and an oil makes little sense.
- Think in terms of the actual amount consumed, not just the letter per 100 g.
- Cross-reference with NOVAto identify a well-rated but highly processed product.
- Read the list of ingredients: short, recognisable, with few additives.
A D on a pleasure product consumed rarely does not raise the same question as a D consumed every day, and an A does not exempt you from looking at what the product contains. No benchmark is sufficient on its own: seeWhich nutritional score is the most reliable?andAll scores compared: Nutri-Score, NOVA, Green-Score.
On Yumiq, the product sheet shows the number of additives detected (harmless, to be monitored, at risk), which the Nutri-Score letter does not show. The Yumiq-Score penalises controversial additives assessed by EFSA and ANSES, and the Yumiq star requires the absence of additives at risk.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
- Does a Nutri-Score E mean a product is prohibited or dangerous?
- No. The letter summarises a nutritional profile per 100 g: more sugar, salt, saturated fat or energy, or less fibre and protein. It suggests limiting the product or reserving it for occasional use, without saying it is dangerous.
- Why doesn't olive oil have an A?
- It is a fatty substance, very rich in lipids and energy per 100 g. Since the decree of 14 March 2025, oils lower in saturated fatty acids (olive, rapeseed, walnut) have moved from C to B, according to Santé.fr and Service-Public.fr. The letter compares profiles; it does not say how much to consume.
- Can a product rated A be ultra-processed?
- Yes. A 2024 study of 129,950 products in the Open Food Facts database shows that, among ultra-processed products (NOVA 4), the share rated A or B falls by about 43% with the new algorithm (almost 10 percentage points). The two systems measure different dimensions.
- How to use the Nutri-Score correctly
- Compare products within the same category, think about the actual amount consumed (the letter is calculated for 100 g), and cross-reference with the NOVA classification and the list of ingredients. No score is sufficient on its own.