Italy’s wine-growing heritage cannot be affronted by an arbitrary and misleading algorithm. Over the years, Italian wine realities have been able to gain a leading place on the international scene both in terms of numbers – export is worth over €7.1bn – and of quality and healthiness thanks to their unparalleled know-how. Decades of history, culture, tradition, commitment and work recognized by the highest international bodies are flattened by an indiscriminate rejection of alcoholic beverages, an anti-alcohol orientation that worries and that is also proposed in other actions such as the Beating Cancer Plan, without distinguishing between use and consumption and between quantities of alcohol present. 

“Over the years, science has highlighted the importance of wine within a balanced diet. It is included in the nutritional regime considered – scientifically – among the healthiest in the world, the Mediterranean Diet. Thus, this proposal reveals once again the extremely simplistic and anti-scientific character of the Nutriscore approach: it is a totally inadequate tool to grasp the importance of nutrition for our health and it is not suitable to be the unique labeling system in Europe.

Competere has always highlighted the shortcomings of Nutriscore, an arbitrary and misleading labeling system, which is contrary to established scientific literature and limits the freedom of consumers. Indeed, while not promoting an educational approach, it addresses consumers’ choices according to incomprehensible and non-transparent parameters.

With our work, based on the strict respect of the scientific method, the opinion of the European scientific community and the interests of consumers, we reaffirm the need for institutions, production forces and commercial activities to gather together against this system, which tramples on the interests not only of a priceless social and economic heritage such as the wine sector and the Italian agri-food industry, but also of all citizens” concludes Pietro Paganini.