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Several multinational F&B companies, including PepsiCo, Danone-owned Alpro and Costa, have withdrawn products from Germany’s voluntary Nutri-Score front-of-pack labelling system following the introduction of stricter scoring rules this year, according to an analysis by consumer group Foodwatch.

The updated Nutri-Score algorithm, which came into force on 1 January 2026, applies tougher criteria to sugar, salt and fat content and reclassifies certain milk-based and plant-based drinks as beverages rather than foods. front

The changes have resulted in lower ratings for a wide range of products, prompting some manufacturers to remove the traffic-light-style label from packaging.

Foodwatch said it identified 33 manufacturers in Germany that had previously registered for Nutri-Score but have since withdrawn the label from all or part of their portfolios. Companies cited include PepsiCo, Danone, Alpro, Costa, Coppenrath & Wiese, Harry Brot, YFood, Hengstenberg and Werder Ketchup.

Under the revised system, products that previously achieved favourable ratings have been downgraded.

Pepsi Zero, for example, would fall from a B to a C due to new penalties for sweeteners, while Danone’s Actimel drink would drop from B to E as all drinkable products are now assessed under stricter beverage criteria. Bread, dairy alternatives and prepared meals have also been affected by changes to fibre thresholds and salt weighting.

PepsiCo has removed Nutri-Score labelling from several beverage brands, including Pepsi, Mirinda and Rockstar, while continuing to display the label on some snack products such as Lay’s and Doritos. Similarly, Danone has dropped Nutri-Score from brands including Alpro, Actimel and Fruchtzwerge, while retaining it on others such as Activia.

The withdrawals highlight growing tension between voluntary nutrition labelling schemes and manufacturers’ portfolio strategies, particularly as scoring revisions expose products to less favourable ratings without reformulation.

Germany’s agriculture ministry said around 960 companies, covering approximately 1,420 brands, were registered to use Nutri-Score as of April 2025. Foodwatch has called on the government to make the label mandatory, arguing that voluntary participation allows companies to selectively apply transparency.

For food and beverage manufacturers, the changes increase pressure to reassess product formulation, portfolio segmentation and labelling strategies, particularly as Nutri-Score continues to gain traction across multiple European markets.

The Nutri-Score system is overseen by an independent international scientific panel, which reviews the methodology periodically to reflect evolving nutritional science.