Dutch retailer Plus has launched a new pilot project that will see the introduction of the Nutri-Score labelling system to 3,000 private-label SKUs.
As of this week, customers will have access to the Nutri-Score data of Plus private-label products on the electronic shelf labels in stores, online at Plus.nl, and in the Plus app, the retailer added.
An independent survey, conducted in August of this year, has revealed that 79% of people among more than 1,000 respondents prefer healthy food and consider it important when choosing products in the supermarket.
The retailer is already conducting a pilot with Nutri-Score on the packaging of Organic Plus and Bio+ products.
Easy Access To Information
Nutri-Score data on the electronic shelf labels will help customers see the score of Plus private-label products on store shelves.
Online shoppers will be able to see the nutritional ranking of products while placing their orders.
The study also found that two out of three Dutch people favour the introduction of Nutri-Score in the Netherlands.
Around 70% think that Nutri-Score helps to compare products quickly and easily.
In addition to convenience, the lack of an overview on what constitutes a healthy choice deters many consumers from making a healthier choice.
In addition, 77% find Nutri-Score a clear and straightforward system to quickly determine whether a product is healthy or not.
Nutri-Score System
Nutri-Score rates products on a scale of A to E, with each score associated with a colour.
A indicates products with the healthiest composition and is represented with a dark green color. Conversely, E is for products with the least healthy composition and is depicted in red colour.
The Dutch government has opted for Nutri-Score as the food choice logo and it is expected to be officially introduced in the Netherlands in mid-2022.
Elsbeth van Dam, private-label manager at Plus, said, "At Plus, we stand for Good Food. We believe it is important to help our customers eat healthier. That is why, as a supermarket chain, we attach great value to the government's choice of the Nutri-Score food choice logo.
"With these pilots, we want to introduce our customers to Nutri-Score, learn from it, and encourage our producers to improve the product even more effectively."
In 2020, the Dutch retailer reported sales of €3 billion, up from €2.6 billion in 2019, with a 12% growth in organic revenue.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest Private Label news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.