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ZutatenKlarby SyncVentura

Nutri-Score in online stores: what retailers may do

The Nutri-Score is not mandatory, but it is a protected trademark with terms of use. Anyone showing it in an online store has to follow these terms – also retailers selling other brands. This guide explains the rules and how to show it in Shopify.

Last updated: · ZutatenKlar by SyncVentura

At a glance

  • Voluntary and free of charge; the trademark belongs to Santé publique France, and in Germany RAL monitors its use.
  • Online, the logo may only be used if the brand also carries the Nutri-Score on its packaging.
  • Retailers with a Nutri-Score commitment for their own brand may also use it digitally for other brands they sell.
  • The score on the packaging counts; an updated algorithm applies since 2024 and the transition period has ended.

Voluntary, but a protected trademark

The Nutri-Score is not one of the mandatory particulars under Article 9 of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011. According to the German food ministry, its use is voluntary and free of charge for food businesses; a German implementing ordinance allows its use in Germany.

The Nutri-Score is a collective trademark of Santé publique France, an agency of the French health ministry. Since 1 March 2023, RAL LOGO LIZENZ has monitored its use in Germany on behalf of the ministry. Anyone using the logo commits to the terms of use.

Who may use it

After an online registration, manufacturers and distributors of products placed on the market in Europe may use the trademark. The registration is purely declaratory: the confirmation email contains the logo files, and there is no further approval (German Q&A catalogue, pp. 41 f.).

  • The commitment applies per brand: within 24 months – 36 months for distributors – the logo should appear on all food categories of that brand.
  • It is expressly allowed to label products sold online first and the others later.

What applies in online stores

The Q&A catalogue expressly covers digital use (pp. 45–47):

  • As long as no commitment to show the Nutri-Score on the packaging has been made for a brand, the logo must not be used in digital formats.
  • Distributors with a Nutri-Score commitment for their own brand may also use the logo digitally for the other brands they distribute (Article 6.2 of the terms of use).
  • In online retail, the size of the logo is not fixed, but it must be easy to read. Otherwise, the same conditions apply as in physical stores.

If you only sell other manufacturers’ brands and have no commitment of your own, it is not expressly regulated whether you may show their Nutri-Score. If in doubt, ask RAL (nutri-score@ral.de).

Which score counts

Show the Nutri-Score printed on the packaging. In Germany, an updated algorithm applies since 1 January 2024; products already labelled had a transition period of 24 months. After that, placing a product on the market with a score calculated by the original algorithm is prohibited (Q&A catalogue, pp. 6 f.).

Databases such as Open Food Facts calculate the Nutri-Score themselves from the nutrition values entered. This can differ from the score on the packaging. A wrong score is a breach of the terms of use, for which sanctions are provided (p. 48).

Showing the Nutri-Score with ZutatenKlar

ZutatenKlar shows the Nutri-Score in the product page block, above the nutrition table – only if you turn it on and only with the score you entered. The feature is part of the Pro plan.

  1. Turn it on and confirm

    Turn it on under “Nutri-Score” in the app and confirm that you may use the Nutri-Score under its terms of use.

  2. Upload the logo files

    One file per letter A to E from your registration (PNG, SVG, JPG or WEBP). They are then stored in your store’s files.

  3. Choose where it appears

    For all food products with a Nutri-Score or only for certain brands (“Vendor” field), Shopify categories or collections.

  4. Enter the score per product

    On the edit page, choose the letter from the packaging – or for many at once via CSV (column “nutriscore”). Only apply the suggestion from Open Food Facts after checking it.

  5. Control single products

    Per product, “always show” or “never show” – this takes precedence over the selection.

The overview under “Nutri-Score” shows for which food products it appears and where a logo file is missing. Mandatory information such as ingredients and nutrition is covered in the guide food information in online stores.

Sources

This guide gives a general overview as of the date shown and is not legal advice. The wording of the regulations is authoritative; individual cases may require advice from a lawyer or the competent authority.