Preserving Portugal’s Culinary Heritage and Consumer Choice – Diario de Noticias
The prestigious Portuguese newspaper Diario de Noticias published my opinion that critiques the implementation of the Nutriscore system by the previous Portuguese government, expressing concerns about its impact on the Portuguese agri-food sector and consumer freedom.
You can read the full opinion here on Diario de Noticias >>> or a summary hereafter.
Preserving Portugal’s Culinary Heritage and Consumer Choice
The previous Portuguese government attempted to implement the Nutriscore system somewhat clandestinely, aware of its lack of consensus among the public. I, along with many Portuguese and European citizens, hope the new government will reject this measure and oppose a system that may endanger the Portuguese agri-food sector and restrict consumer choice.
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The Nutriscore system categorizes packaged foods as “healthy” (green light), “harmful” (red light), or intermediate (orange light) to guide consumers toward healthier choices to combat obesity and overweight, which are linked to serious diseases. Obesity is termed an “invisible epidemic,” affecting over a billion people—a number projected to quadruple by 2035—and could potentially reduce life expectancy by 2030 for the first time in human history.
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However, I argue that Nutriscore may not effectively contribute to reducing obesity and could never do so, even if universally adopted. The simplicity of the system may mislead both consumers and businesses, particularly in Portugal, where it could force small and medium-sized companies to alter centuries-old traditional recipes to produce “healthy” foods.
This could advantage non-Portuguese multinationals with extensive product lines capable of selling both “healthy” and “harmful” products.
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The current government should ensure that Portuguese companies can continue to sell traditional products that have been proven healthy over centuries. The article stresses that traditional Portuguese culinary products do not cause obesity.
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The underlying principles of Nutriscore, which penalize sugar, saturated fats, and salt, are criticized for being scientifically weak and ignoring the need for nutritional balance, which is highly individual. Obesity is a complex condition with multiple causes beyond diet, including genetics, lifestyle, physical activity, psychology, and socioeconomic factors. The fight against obesity should include a holistic and personalized approach focused on consumer education and providing tools for informed choices. The traffic light system limits knowledge and does not encourage critical thinking, presenting a misleading “truth” established through an algorithm that contradicts Portuguese tradition.
I urge the current government to avoid the trap of a simplistic solution that favors certain commercial interests at the expense of others. I urge to defend consumers’ right to choose, even to make mistakes, as a way to learn and improve independently.
