Spain wants an exception for olive oil in the forthcoming European food label Nutri-Score. The Spanish government has informed the EU that it supports the voluntary introduction of food labels but wants to exclude olive oil from it.
As in many other Mediterranean countries, there is strong opposition in Spain to the food rating system developed in France because olive oil and some Southern European cheeses and cured meats score poorly. They fear that their products will be labeled as ‘unhealthy’ as a result.
The main controversy centers around Nutri-Score, which critics say discriminates against traditional European food products like olive oil, which is associated with reducing obesity.
Nutri-Score uses a color-coded algorithm (from green to red) and a letter grade from A to E for each food product. This is intended to encourage consumers to buy healthier foods. A coalition of EU countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, and France, has called on other EU member states to adopt the system.
To prevent opposition from farmers, the Spanish government has advocated for an exception specifically for olive oil, not for other foods and products. In the case of olive oil, there are scientific reasons to argue for an exception, but not for other products like Iberian meat or cheese.
The Spanish government has requested that after Spain voluntarily accepts the label, no EU country can force Spanish olive oil producers to include the food label on their product packaging.
According to EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski, all countries agree that any labeling system must be scientifically based. The European farmers' lobby COPA-COGECA has joined the Italian protests against the French Nutri-Score system. European consumer organizations, on the other hand, support the French label.