Food industry group hires Sorainen to oppose Nutri-Score plan

Estonia’s food industry association has hired law firm Sorainen to challenge a plan for voluntary Nutri-Score labels on food packaging, ERR reported.

The Estonian Food Industry Association commissioned Sorainen to analyse the draft regulation and used the firm’s legal review to prepare its submission to the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture. In a 14-page letter sent to Minister Hendrik Terras in late October, the association argued that the proposed labelling scheme was not sufficiently justified, would be premature in Estonia, would require changes to the Food Act and had not been adequately assessed for its effects.

Association director Sirje Potisepp said Sorainen was engaged to assess the draft’s legal aspects and help the association present its views and proposals to ministries. She declined to say how much the association was paying the firm, citing the terms of their contract.

Sorainen lawyers Allar Jõks and Liisa Kähr have also published an opinion article arguing that Estonia is concealing legal risks related to Nutri-Score. Representatives of the firm have discussed the label on social media as well.

Nutri-Score uses five letters and colours to rate the composition of food, with the aim of helping consumers compare products and make healthier choices. The ministry says consumers are more likely to notice a simplified label on the front of a package than nutrition information on the back, and that colour coding can reach people from different socioeconomic backgrounds. The draft would make use of the label voluntary.

The Estonian Association of Paediatricians has backed the proposal, saying in an appeal to the government this summer that one in three schoolchildren in Estonia is overweight and that Nutri-Score would offer a simple, evidence-based and cost-effective way to help people make choices. The Estonian Medical Students’ Association also supports the plan.

Food producers oppose the proposal, saying only some European countries use the label and that its scale is too simplistic. They warn it could lead consumers to favour imported products over local ones. Producers have also said that the sugar content of many dairy products sold in Estonian shops could lower their ratings, as could high levels of salt and saturated fats.

Economy Minister Liina Vahtras declined to approve the draft regulation this week, saying its need, alternatives and effects should first be analysed. She also said the draft did not make clear what competition problem it was intended to address or how much interest Estonian businesses had in using the label.

The Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture says existing scientific evidence often supports labelling systems of the Nutri-Score type.