Nutri-Score labeling system fails to reflect nutritional complexity of cocoa

Researchers at the University of Granada have revealed that the Nutri-Score labeling system, commonly used in Europe to assess food quality, is unable to adequately reflect the nutritional and metabolic complexity of soluble cocoa sold in Spain.

The study, which is a pioneer internationally for integrating non-targeted metabolomics techniques applied to the evaluation of nutritional labeling systems, analyzed 54 products from 19 different brands with Nutri-Score ratings between A and D.

The scientific team has shown that there is no correlation between the Nutri-Score category and the actual nutritional composition of the food products studied, especially with regard to bioactive compounds with beneficial health effects.

A system that penalizes products richer in healthy compounds

The analysis confirms that Nutri-Score classifies products primarily based on their sugar, saturated fat, salt, and calorie content. "However, it overlooks relevant molecules associated with beneficial effects, such as phenolic compounds, bioactive peptides, and antioxidant compounds found in cocoa," explains Marta Palma, a researcher in the Department of Nutrition and Food Science at the UGR.

In several identified cases, foods with higher cocoa content and more bioactive compounds - and therefore potentially healthier - are penalized with lower ratings (C or D), while other highly processed foods with added sweeteners, thickeners, flavorings, or flours receive a Nutri-Score A, the highest rating. Specifically, some "no added sugar" products, despite being highly processed and containing numerous additives, have better scores than 100% pure cocoa.

Key findings of the study

The research did not detect clear groupings by Nutri-Score category in the multivariate statistical analyses, revealing the system's limited ability to discriminate between the actual metabolic profiles of soluble cocoa products.

Bioactive compounds correlate closely with actual cocoa content, not with the Nutri-Score category. Scientists have identified peptides, flavonoids, fatty acids, phenols, and other metabolites with potential anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cardioprotective, or neuroprotective effects.

Towards more comprehensive, evidence-based labeling

The results highlight the limitations of current front-of-package labeling systems and underscore the need to incorporate additional information such as metabolomics to provide consumers with a more realistic view of nutritional quality.

Our work shows that the Nutri-Score system does not capture the complexity of foods rich in bioactive compounds, such as cocoa, which can lead to misinterpretations by consumers. Metabolomics is emerging as a key tool for developing more comprehensive labeling systems that integrate not only macronutrients but also physiologically relevant compounds."

Celia Rodríguez, professor, Department of Nutrition and Food Science and secretary of the José Mataix Verdú Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology

This research based on experimental data is the first application of untargeted metabolomics to assess the consistency between nutritional labeling and the actual chemical composition of foods such as soluble cocoa. Its conclusions are particularly relevant for regulatory bodies, the food industry, and consumers, in a context where the future of Nutri-Score in the European Union is under debate.