Bye-bye, Nutri-Score: Alpro, Pepsi & Co. no longer display their labels

Debora Pape

9/2/2026

Translation: machine translated

Since January 2026, stricter rules have applied to the Nutri-Score, which expose hidden sugar and salt traps. However, instead of ensuring greater transparency, many companies exploit the voluntary nature of the system and simply remove the label completely in the event of poor ratings.

The fact that some companies have less consumer information and more marketing in mind is currently evident on supermarket shelves: since the beginning of the year, stricter rules have applied to the food traffic light system, which has led to a lower rating for many products. However, instead of printing the new rating openly and honestly on the packaging, some manufacturers are simply removing the food traffic light completely. The logic: better to look neutral than bad.

The European consumer organisation Foodwatch now reveals which manufacturers are legally cheating on their products in this way

Which brands are pulling the ripcord?

The food traffic light is voluntary, but the crux of the matter is that if you want to get out of the Nutri-Score, you have to do so as an entire brand. Coppenrath und Wiese, for example, has an easy time saying goodbye with its sweet frozen cakes. The brand only makes cakes, nothing else.

If not all of a brand's products are affected by a devaluation, it becomes strategic. «Should we tolerate a yellow C or even a red E if all other products are in the green zone?», some companies may have thought. The answer: it depends. For example, a core product that has recently been ranking poorly can still justify the withdrawal of the entire brand.

One of these companies is PepsiCo. Pepsi, Schwipschwap, Mountain Dew and Rockstar will no longer carry the Nutri-Score label. The reason: Pepsi Zero, which previously carried a light green B on its packaging due to the absence of sugar, would now have had to make do with a yellow C because of the sweetener. However, Lay's and Doritos crisps, which also belong to the group, remain on board with the Nutri-Score.

The situation is similar for Danone. The branded products that predominantly receive poorer ratings are withdrawing from the labelling. These include Alpro, Actimel and Fruchtzwerge. The Alpro almond drink was downgraded from B to C due to its high calorie content and low protein content. Actimel's yoghurt drink should now even show an E instead of a B. However, the Danone brands Dany and Activia continue to participate in the traffic light system.

One prominent product that also has to accept a drastic downgrade is Kellogg's Original Cornflakes. They are downgraded from B to D. The food traffic light thus lives up to the accusations that breakfast cereals are presented as being healthier than they are. At least the Nutri-Score on the packaging remains the same. The Nesquik chocolate powder, which has been downgraded from B to D, also continues to display the label.

What will the Nutri-Score 2026 do differently?

The new rules address criticism of the calculation of the score. For example, high-quality edible oils (such as virgin olive oil) often received a poor score due to their high fat content, even though unsaturated fatty acids are healthy. There have therefore already been several adjustments since the Nutri-Score was introduced in 2020.

For nuts and oils, however, the unfortunate situation only changed with the latest update of the algorithm. As « oils and fats» they now have their own category and can therefore improve their rating. In general, proteins and fibre are now also rated better.

There have also been changes to the grouping of drinks. For example, many mixed milk drinks and milk alternatives were previously categorised as general foods, not drinks. This has now changed and they have to be measured against stricter standards.

Furthermore, the sugar and salt content now leads to higher deductions. This affects ready meals, muesli bars and nut nougat creams, for example. For drinks, artificial sweeteners are looked at more strictly.

Nutri-Score: signpost or advertising trap?

One of the biggest criticisms levelled at the Nutri-Score system is its voluntary nature. After all, the label should not be a marketing factor for manufacturers, but a basis for comparison for consumers. Foodwatch is therefore calling for mandatory Nutri-Score labelling for all foods.

The fact that labelling is voluntary is due to EU law, which Switzerland also adheres to. This means that only the nutritional table is mandatory information on the packaging. To make the Nutri-Score label mandatory, all member states would have to agree. However, Italy in particular is opposed to this: Many typically Italian foods such as pizza or Parma ham would thus receive an unfavourable nutritional classification.

Critics also complain that the five colours can hardly reflect the complexity of nutrition. In my opinion: as environmental aspects, the degree of processing and realistic portion sizes are missing, the traffic light is only a rough guide anyway. The best recipe for a healthy diet therefore remains an attentive look at the list of ingredients instead of blind faith in colourful letters.

Debora Pape

Editor

Debora.Pape@galaxus.de

Feels just as comfortable in front of a gaming PC as she does in a hammock in the garden. Likes the Roman Empire, container ships and science fiction books. Focuses mostly on unearthing news stories about IT and smart products.

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