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How is the Nutri-Score actually calculated?
The little A-E logo is everywhere on European shelves, yet almost nobody knows what sits behind it. It is neither an opinion nor a paid label: it is a public algorithm that turns a product's nutrition facts into a colour-coded grade — and it was recently overhauled from the ground up.
This article walks through the calculation step by step: negative points, positive points, the A-E scale, a worked example, what changed with the new algorithm — and what this grade, by design, can never tell you about your own nutrition goal.
Published July 29, 20267 min read
Where the Nutri-Score comes from
The Nutri-Score is an official front-of-pack nutrition label, adopted by France in 2017 and managed by Santé publique France, the French public-health agency. It builds on a nutrient-profiling system developed in the UK (the Food Standards Agency score), adapted by the nutritional epidemiology research team of Prof. Serge Hercberg. Several European countries joined later, including Belgium, Germany, Spain, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
Its goal is precise and worth stating as-is: letting you compare products from the same shelf at a glance. An A on a cereal box does not mean “eat as much as you want” — it means “among cereals, this one has a better profile than the ones rated D”. The whole calculation follows from that intent.
The mechanics: negative points vs positive points
Everything is computed per 100 g (or 100 ml for drinks) from the nutrition facts on the label. Each unfavourable component adds points, each favourable one removes them. The final score is the difference — and the lower it is, the better the grade.
Negative points
Energy (kJ)
The more calories per 100 g, the more points the product takes.
Sugars
Total sugars, made stricter by the 2024 revision of the algorithm.
Saturated fat
The fats associated with cardiovascular risk.
Salt
Sodium converted to salt equivalent, also made stricter in 2024.
Positive points
Fruits, vegetables, legumes
The percentage of this ingredient family in the recipe.
Fibre
Rewards whole grains and legumes in particular.
Protein
Counted with a cap for red meat since the revision.
A few categories have their own scale so they stay comparable with each other: drinks, added fats (oils, butters) and cheeses. That is what lets olive oil rank well among oils without being compared to mineral water.
From score to letter: the A-E scale
Once positive points are subtracted from negative points, the total lands in one of five zones. For general foods, under the revised algorithm:
- Ascore ≤ 0
- B1 to 2
- C3 to 10
- D11 to 18
- E19 and up
Drinks have their own, much harsher scale: only water gets an A, and sugary or sweetened drinks end up at the bottom. Milk is now assessed with the drinks — one of the revision's most visible changes.
A simplified example: fruit muesli
Take a fruit muesli, with rounded values to keep the logic readable (the official scales count point by point, threshold by threshold):
- Energy (1,650 kJ / 100 g)+4
- Sugars (17 g / 100 g)+4
- Saturated fat (1.5 g)+1
- Salt (0.9 g)+2
- Fibre (7 g / 100 g)−5
- Protein (9 g / 100 g)−5
Eleven negative points, ten positive points: score 1, grade B. Remove a bit of sugar from the recipe and the same product reaches A; add chocolate and it slides towards C. That is the system's strength — and its mechanical side: the grade only judges the composition per 100 g, never your actual portion or the context of the meal.
What changed with the new algorithm
The scientific committee of the seven participating countries revised the algorithm to fix the most criticised inconsistencies of the first version. Rolled out on packaging progressively since 2024, the revision changes grades you can see on the shelf:
- Sugar and salt weigh more — many sweetened cereals and salty ready meals drop a letter.
- Oily fish and oils rich in good fats (olive, rapeseed, walnut) move up — their cardiovascular benefit is better reflected.
- Whole-grain products stand out from refined ones thanks to the increased weight of fibre.
- Red meat has its protein points capped, to distinguish it from poultry and fish.
- Sweetened drinks lose the “sugar-free” advantage: a diet soda can no longer score better than B.
The logo itself did not change: same letters, same colours. Only the machinery underneath became more demanding.
What the Nutri-Score cannot tell you
Understanding the calculation makes one thing obvious: the Nutri-Score answers a single question — “does this product have a good overall nutritional profile, per 100 g, compared to its shelf?”. It knows nothing about you. A skyr gets the same grade whether you are cutting on 1,800 kcal or bulking on 3,200 kcal, even though its place in your day is completely different.
It also does not count your calories, does not track your macros, and includes neither the degree of ultra-processing nor additives — complementary dimensions carried by other indicators such as the NOVA classification. We compared the two approaches in detail in Nutri-Score vs personalized score.
That is exactly the role of ZymFit's personalized nutrition score: it starts from the same scientific base — the official Nutri-Score is one of its factors — then weighs it according to your actual goal: weight loss, muscle gain or maintenance. Same product, same label, but a /100 score that answers you.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Nutri-Score mandatory on packaging?
Who actually calculates a product's grade?
Why doesn't olive oil get an A?
Is the grade the same for everyone?
How do I know whether a grade uses the new algorithm?
Écrit par
Roberto — Fondateur de ZymFit
Je conçois et développe ZymFit au quotidien — et je teste chaque fonctionnalité sur mes propres séances et mes propres repas. Ce que tu lis ici, c'est la méthode que l'app applique réellement, pas un texte écrit pour Google.
Sources
- Nutri-Score — official presentation and algorithmSanté publique France — the agency behind the Nutri-Score
- Healthy diet — official fact sheetWorld Health Organization (WHO)
- The Nutri-Score computed on the products of the databaseOpen Food Facts — the collaborative database used by scanners
Read next
Nutri-Score vs personalized score: which one to follow?
Why a single grade is not enough once your goal changes: weight loss, muscle gain or simply eating better.
Read the articleProgressWeight tracking: the true trend, not the noise
Why the scale lies every day and how to read the moving average to see what is really happening over 4 weeks.
Read the articleNutritionHow to calculate your macros as a beginner
The simple method to set protein, carbs and fat according to your goal, without spreadsheets.
Read the articleA score that knows your goal.
Scan a product with ZymFit: the official Nutri-Score, plus a /100 score weighted for your goal — weight loss, muscle gain or maintenance. Free to start.