“Too fatty, too salty or too sweet”. the five color logo(5 C), declined from green to red, would be a good system to make food choices more balanced and less rich in fat. This is the conclusion of a study published in the journal American Journal of Preventive Medicine (AJPM).
The survey compared four signs used in European countries: the green tick in certain Scandinavian countries, also used in the Netherlands; the red light type system (three colors / Multiple Traffic Lights) in force in Great Britain; and the daily nutritional guidelines used by certain manufacturers and the five-color logo in France.
The implementation of the five-color code is supported by nutritionists and by the High Council of Public Health. This labeling system aims to indicate the nutritional quality of a food product by taking into account various criteria such as simple sugars, sodium, fibers, saturated fatty acids, proteins, and calories. The objective of this information is to facilitate the choice of consumers and encourage them to eat more balanced.
Among the four signs studied, which was the best received? The panel of 12,000 people from NutriNet-Santé research program, invited to shop at an online supermarket with 269 products, found the 5-color code to be the most effective for making “informed” virtual purchases.
Less fat and salt with the 5 color code
While they could choose between products identified according to the four labels, it is code 5 C, envisaged in France, which made it possible to compose the most balanced food basket.
All of the logos, apart from the Daily Nutritional Guides, helped participants lower the calorie content in their shopping cart. But the 5-color logo (5-C) is the one that has contributed the most to reducing the content of lipids and saturated fatty acids (fats) as well as the salt content.
It remains to convince the reluctant manufacturers of the legitimacy of this labeling with a view to possible implementation in France.
>> To read also: The 5-color logo is better understood
Nutrition: the French are in favor of the 5-color code
