PLM and Compliance Solutions for Food & Beverage, Cosmetics & Personal Care, and Specialty Chemical Brands

Food and beverage brands that sell in more than one market should prepare for Nutri-Score by keeping one verified product record that can produce a current score, and the data behind it, for each market on request. The label is voluntary in law, but retailers in France already ask suppliers for scores, shoppers have long expected it, and seven countries take part in its governance with different calculation dates, while the FDA has proposed a different system for the United States. This guide explains where the label stands today, what is pushing for a mandate, what could happen next, how other markets approach front-of-pack labeling, and how to check whether your product data is ready. TL;DR Nutri-Score is still voluntary in France, but French retailers already display it on their packs. Carrefour and Intermarché go further and ask suppliers for scores, with consequences when one is missing. Consumers expect it: in a September 2020 Santé publique France survey, 89% favored making it mandatory, and a petition to that effect has passed 114,000 signatures. The latest attempt to make it mandatory was rejected by the National Assembly in October 2026, although separate legislative proposals mean the wider debate may continue. Seven countries take part in its governance, with start dates for the updated calculation from 1 January 2024 to 16 March 2025 among the countries Santé publique France lists. The FDA has proposed a different front-of-pack system for the US, a "Nutrition Info box" rating three nutrients, and it is still a proposal. Readiness is a data question: one verified product record has to serve every retailer, market and label.