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Anger over calls to label wine as ‘unhealthy’ in France

08 March 2022 By Christian Smith

The adoption of Nutri-Score rankings for alcohol in France would see wine labelled as nutritionally unhealthy, prompting upset across the industry in Europe.

Wine labels: is wine unealthy?

France adopted the Nutri-Score system as a means to improve the quality of nutrition standards in the country in 2017. However, the system is far from being universally liked.

Indeed, calls in France for the Nutri-Score system to be adopted on wine labels has lead to anger and upset in the industry, particularly since the scientists who created the system believe that all alcoholic drinks should be labelled an an ‘F’ on a scale that currently only runs from A-E.

In February, we reported that the European Commission had approved the conclusion of a report from BECA – the European Parliament’s Special Committee on Beating Cancer – which stated that any amount of alcohol consumption carries a health risk; there is “no safe level”.

However, after debate and votes, a key distinction was made between harmful and moderate alcohol consumption.

It is worth noting that Nutri-Score is not currently mandatory in France, though there are those who believe it ought to be.

Christophe Château, head of communication at the CIVB, the Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux, said of the adoption of Nutri-Score:

“We will not have to have an extra label on the bottle, but instead a QR code or an internet link.”

Châteaux admitted that being given a lowly score on the scale would not “make us happy, but you have to go with the flow”.

He commented: “It is a reminder that wine does contain a lot of calories – around 80 for a glass of red wine. We are confident most people will see the information for what it is. We always advise people to drink for enjoyment and in moderation.”

Meanwhile, Italy’s agriculture minister Gian Carlo Centinaio said:

“I want to know what Macron thinks of the latest propositions from Nutri-Score, who now say we should have a black F for all drinks containing a little bit of alcohol.”

The report from BECA – the European Parliament’s Special Committee on Beating Cancer, which we referenced above, still recommends “the mandatory indication of the list of ingredients and nutritional information”.

H/T: Connexion France

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