Mrągowo, 28 April 2026
IIPM Position Paper on the Use of the Nutri-Score System on Food Products
The Dairy Industry Innovation Institute (Instytut Innowacji Przemysłu Mleczarskiego Sp. z o.o.) expresses a critical stance regarding the use of the Nutri-Score system on food products. In the Institute's assessment, this system is an oversimplified tool that does not reflect the true nutritional value of food, particularly natural products such as milk and dairy products.
According to IIPM, Nutri-Score relies on an algorithm that fails to take into account the complex composition of foods. As a result, certain food products, including dairy, despite their high nutritional value (high content of protein, essential minerals, and vitamins), receive lower ratings due to the presence of penalised components, i.e., saturated fats or salt. The Nutri-Score approach also overlooks the positive health effects of the complex dairy matrix, the beneficial role of which is emphasized in numerous scientific publications.
The system also disregards aspects such as the degree of processing and the presence of bioavailable natural micronutrients, leading to an inadequate classification of foods.
Based on experience to date with the application of Nutri-Score, it can be concluded that the system favors ultra-processed foods whose composition can be easily reformulated to match the criteria of the scoring algorithm, while deprecating natural foods, including milk, cheeses, and other dairy items. Consequently, traditional dairy products may be perceived by consumers as less healthy than processed alternatives, which runs counter to healthy dietary principles.
Through its simplified graphical format, Nutri-Score can mislead consumers and lead to misguided purchasing decisions. Research clearly indicates that consumers often do not understand how the system works while placing unwarranted trust in its markings, which increases the risk of poorly balanced diets.
In conclusion, IIPM does not support the introduction of the Nutri-Score system, either on a voluntary or mandatory basis, because this system:
- does not reflect the actual nutritional value of food products,
- leads to discrimination against natural and traditional products,
- can mislead consumers.
