Nutri-Score 2024: How the Updated Algorithm Works
Learn how Nutri-Score works under the 2024 algorithm, including A-to-E grades, scoring changes, beverage rules, required data and legal status.
Nutri-Score is the A-to-E front-of-pack nutrition grade used voluntarily across several European markets, and since 2024 it runs on a substantially stricter algorithm than the original 2017 version. The update, agreed by the seven-country steering committee of France, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland on the recommendation of its scientific committee, tightened the scoring ladders for sugars and salt, capped protein points for red meat, improved the treatment of oils and fish, and moved milk-based and plant-based drinks into the beverage scale, where only water can achieve an A. If you sell in a Nutri-Score market, products graded under the old algorithm needed regrading during the transition period that followed each country's adoption.
How the Nutri-Score algorithm is computed
The mechanics are unchanged in shape. Per 100 g, or 100 ml for beverages, a product accrues unfavorable points for energy, sugars, saturated fat, and salt, and favorable points for protein, fibre, and the percentage of fruits, vegetables, and legumes. Favorable points are subtracted from unfavorable points to give a final score, and the score maps to a letter grade. Lower is better. The published cutoffs for general foods are:
- Score ≤ -1 → A (dark green)
- 0 to 2 → B
- 3 to 10 → C
- 11 to 18 → D
- 19 and above → E (dark orange)
Separate component ladders and cutoffs apply to beverages and to the fats, oils, nuts, and seeds category.
What changed in the Nutri-Score 2024 update
- Sugars and salt score harder. The ladders were extended and refined so that sugary and salty products land lower grades. Many breakfast cereals, sweetened dairy products, and prepared meals dropped a letter.
- Protein points were rebalanced. Red meat products face a cap on the protein points they can earn, differentiating them from poultry and fish, a deliberate alignment with dietary guidance to limit red meat.
- Fish and oils are treated more fairly. Oily fish and vegetable oils with better fat profiles, such as olive and rapeseed, can now reach better grades, correcting a criticized quirk of the 2017 algorithm.
- Beverages got stricter. Milk, milk-based drinks, and plant-based drinks moved from the general-food scale to the beverage scale. Products containing non-nutritive sweeteners receive penalty points, and only plain water is eligible for an A.
- Fibre thresholds were adjusted so that genuinely wholegrain products separate more clearly from refined ones.
Old vs new Nutri-Score algorithm at a glance
| Aspect | 2017 algorithm | 2024 algorithm |
|---|---|---|
| Sugars / salt scoring | Coarser ladders | Finer, stricter ladders |
| Red meat protein | Full protein points | Capped protein points |
| Milk & plant drinks | Scored as general foods | Scored as beverages |
| Sweetened beverages | No sweetener penalty | Penalty points for non-nutritive sweeteners |
| Grade A beverages | Some drinks could reach A | Water only |
Nutri-Score legal status: voluntary, but sticky
Nutri-Score is not an EU-wide mandate. The harmonized front-of-pack scheme contemplated by the Farm to Fork strategy never materialized as a regulation adopting Nutri-Score. Instead, each participating country authorizes it nationally, and once a brand registers to use the mark it must apply it across its product range in that market and follow the current algorithm within the transition window.
That contractual stickiness is why regrading matters. Displaying an outdated grade breaches the trademark usage rules even though the scheme itself is voluntary. The mandatory baseline underneath any Nutri-Score mark remains the EU nutrition declaration. See our Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 guide.
The data you need before computing Nutri-Score
Grading requires seven inputs per 100 g: energy, sugars, saturated fat, salt, protein, fibre, and the fruit/vegetable/legume percentage. The first six come straight from your EU nutrition declaration.
The FVL percentage is the one that needs recipe-level work. It is derived from the proportion of qualifying ingredients in the formulation, with specific rules on how processing steps like juicing, concentrating, and drying affect what counts.
Products sitting near a grade boundary deserve extra care. A one-point swing in the sugars or salt component can move a whole letter, so verify borderline inputs against supplier specifications or lab analysis rather than database averages.
Computing your Nutri-Score grade
All of this is data you already hold if your recipe is modeled properly. Our label generator computes the current Nutri-Score grade directly from your recipe alongside the EU declaration, and our coverage page lists every supported front-of-pack scheme by country.
For a contrast with a star-based system that is still a draft rather than an enforced mandate, see India's INR star rating.
Nutri-Score frequently asked questions
Is Nutri-Score mandatory anywhere?
No. It is a voluntary scheme authorized country by country. However, once a company registers the trademark for a market, it commits to labeling its full range there and to keeping grades current with the algorithm.
Why did my product's Nutri-Score get worse in 2024?
The updated Nutri-Score algorithm scores sugars and salt more strictly and rebalanced protein and beverage rules. Nothing about your product changed; the measuring stick did. Recompute under the current ladders to see which component drove the drop.
Which nutrient basis does Nutri-Score use, per serving or per 100 g?
Always per 100 g for foods and per 100 ml for beverages, matching the EU nutrition declaration basis. Serving-based values play no role in the calculation.
Get your Nutri-Score, your EU declaration, and your ingredient list from a single recipe. Start free in the label generator.
