Consumers and Health

Nutri-Score in Turkey: snack bar paradox and the call for change

October 21, 2025

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The Nutri-Score analysis of snack bars in Turkey has exposed a striking paradox in the country’s rapidly expanding market for these products. Although these products are often marketed and perceived as healthy or functional alternatives, the first comprehensive assessment by Duman et al. (2025) paints a contrasting picture. Examining 237 snack bars available on the Turkish market, the study found that 82.7% fall into unfavourable Nutri-Score categories (C, D, or E). It also revealed category-specific inconsistencies – such as high saturated fat in protein bars and elevated sodium in whole grain or oat bars – offering clear directions for industry reformulation.

These findings illustrate the ‘health halo’ effect and the implications of a persistent regulatory vacuum. In Turkey, the absence of mandatory front-of-pack nutrition labelling (FOPNL) enables nutritionally poor products to carry misleading health and nutrition claims, exacerbating the country’s growing burden of diet-related diseases (WHO, 2020).

More importantly, the Turkish experience reflects a broader international policy failure. Sixteen years past the legal deadline, the European Union has yet to establish mandatory nutrient profiles, allowing nutritionally unbalanced foods to appear healthier than they are. This regulatory inertia gives Turkey a unique opportunity to take the lead by adopting Nutri-Score and nutrient profiles, advancing consumer protection, encouraging reformulation, and setting a regional benchmark for public health policy.

Table of Contents

Methodology and study design

The cross-sectional study conducted by Duman and colleagues (2025) employed a comprehensive sampling approach to evaluate 237 snack bar products available in major Turkish supermarket chains. The research team systematically categorised products into four distinct groups based on primary ingredients and compositional characteristics:

protein bars (n=98)

fruit & nut bars (n=97)

whole grain/oat bars (n=30), and

functional/active/energy bars (n=12).

This content-driven classification prioritised core composition over marketing claims, ensuring accurate categorisation despite potentially misleading product positioning.

The Nutri-Score algorithm – endorsed by WHO, OCSE and over 150 scientific studies (Hercberg et al., 2025) – served as the primary analytical framework for nutritional assessment. This validated nutrient profiling system assigns products to five categories (A through E) based on a comprehensive evaluation of both positive and negative nutritional attributes per 100 grams. The calculation methodology incorporated negative points for energy density, sugars, saturated fat, and sodium, whilst awarding positive points for protein, fibre, and fruits, vegetables, pulses, and nuts content. Where specific nutrient data were unavailable on product labels, the researchers applied established imputation procedures following the methods described by Hafner and Pravst (2021).

Data collection occurred between September and November 2024, encompassing both online databases and physical store visits to ensure comprehensive market representation. Two independent researchers performed simultaneous data collection to enhance reliability, with results cross-checked and merged into a final dataset. Statistical analyses employed non-parametric tests, including Kruskal-Wallis for group comparisons, with Principal Component Analysis providing exploratory visualisation of nutrient co-variation patterns.

Key findings and nutritional profiles

The study’s findings reveal concerning patterns in the nutritional composition of Turkish snack bars, with 82.7% of products falling into less favourable Nutri-Score categories (C, D, or E). This distribution indicates that the vast majority of snack bars available to Turkish consumers fail to meet internationally recognised standards for nutritional quality. The median Nutri-Score values ranged from 8.0 to 9.0 points across categories, predominantly placing products in categories C and D, with minimal representation in the healthier A and B categories (17.3% overall).

Category-specific analyses revealed distinct nutritional challenges within each product group:

protein bars, whilst providing substantial protein content (median: 25.1 g/100g), exhibited the highest saturated fat levels (median: 4.0 g/100g) among all categories. This finding challenges the assumption that high-protein products inherently offer superior nutritional profiles;

fruit & nut bars demonstrated significantly high sugar content (median: 39.0 g/100g), largely attributable to concentrated fruit ingredients and added sweeteners;

whole grain/oat bars, often perceived as wholesome options due to their fibre content, contained surprisingly elevated salt levels (median: 0.50 g/100g), potentially contributing to Turkey’s already excessive sodium intake patterns;

the functional/active/energy bar category, though limited in sample size, displayed the highest median energy density (416 kcal/100g) whilst showing minimal variation in Nutri-Score distribution, with 75% of products classified as category C. Notably, no products in this category achieved the favourable A or B classifications, raising questions about the legitimacy of their health-oriented marketing claims.

Public health implications and discussion

The predominance of nutritionally suboptimal snack bars in the Turkish market carries significant public health implications, particularly given Turkey’s escalating burden of diet-related chronic diseases (Non-Communicable Diseases, NCDs). The study’s findings align with international research demonstrating similar nutritional inadequacies in snack bar products across European markets (Klerks et al., 2022; Saraiva et al., 2024). The high sugar content observed in fruit & nut bars poses particular concern, with median values approaching 40 grams per 100 grams – a level associated with increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic disorders (Huang et al., 2023).

The high sodium content found in whole grain and oat bars warrants particular concern in Turkey, where average salt intake already surpasses World Health Organization recommendations by almost three times (Erdem et al., 2017). This finding suggests that even products marketed as healthful alternatives may inadvertently contribute to excessive sodium intake, potentially exacerbating hypertension prevalence and cardiovascular disease risk.

The study’s Principal Component Analysis revealed substantial overlap between product categories, suggesting that marketing-based categorisations poorly predict actual nutritional quality. This finding underscores the critical need for standardised front-of-pack labelling systems that enable consumers to make informed choices regardless of marketing claims. The Nutri-Score system’s ability to synthesise multiple nutritional attributes into a single, interpretable grade could significantly enhance consumer decision-making whilst incentivising industry-led reformulation efforts (Roberto et al., 2021).

Reformulation strategies and industry recommendations

The research findings point to specific, actionable reformulation targets for each snack bar category:

for protein bars, manufacturers should prioritise reducing saturated fat content whilst maintaining protein levels, potentially through the incorporation of plant-based protein sources and unsaturated fat alternatives;

fruit & nut bars require substantial sugar reduction strategies, which might include utilising whole fruit pieces rather than concentrated sweeteners, incorporating sugar alcohols judiciously, and exploring natural sweetness enhancers that do not contribute to caloric density;

whole grain/oat bars present unique reformulation challenges given the functional role of sodium in product texture and shelf stability. However, successful sodium reduction strategies employed in other food categories suggest viable pathways, including the use of potassium-based salt substitutes, flavour enhancement through herbs and spices, and gradual reduction to allow consumer palate adaptation (Nurmilah et al., 2022). The limited availability of products achieving favourable Nutri-Score ratings (A or B) indicates substantial room for innovation in developing nutritionally superior formulations without compromising sensory acceptability.

International experience demonstrates that the implementation of front-of-pack labelling systems can effectively drive voluntary reformulation, with manufacturers proactively improving product compositions to avoid unfavourable classifications (Vandevijvere & Berger, 2021). The visibility and consumer recognition of the Nutri-Score label creates market incentives for nutritional improvements, potentially transforming the competitive landscape to favour healthier products.

Policy recommendations and future directions

The study’s findings support several policy interventions to improve the nutritional quality of snack bars in Turkey. First, the adoption of a mandatory front-of-pack labelling system, such as Nutri-Score, would provide consumers with accessible nutritional information whilst creating market incentives for reformulation. Second, the establishment of maximum permitted levels for nutrients of concern – particularly sugars, saturated fats, and sodium – could accelerate industry-wide improvements in product composition.

Public health authorities should implement comprehensive consumer education campaigns to enhance nutritional literacy and address the health halo effect. These initiatives should explicitly highlight the discrepancy between marketing claims and actual nutritional quality, empowering consumers to critically evaluate product healthfulness. Additionally, collaboration between policymakers, industry stakeholders, and public health experts through multi-stakeholder platforms could facilitate the development of achievable reformulation targets and monitoring frameworks.

Future research should investigate actual consumption patterns and dietary behaviours associated with snack bar intake, providing deeper insights into their contribution to overall diet quality. Longitudinal studies tracking reformulation trends and their impact on population health outcomes would inform evidence-based policy adjustments. Economic analyses examining the cost-effectiveness of producing nutritionally superior snacks could address industry concerns about reformulation feasibility whilst identifying opportunities for public-private partnerships to support healthier product development.

Editor’s note: the urgent need for nutrient profile implementation

The findings of this Turkish snack bar study underscore a critical regulatory gap that extends beyond national borders. The European Union’s Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 mandated the establishment of nutrient profiles by 19 January 2009, designed to prevent foods high in saturated fats, sugars, and sodium from bearing nutrition and health claims. Remarkably, sixteen years after this deadline, the European Commission has still not met this legal obligation, leaving a a regulatory vacuum that allows companies to make health claims on products with unbalanced nutrient profiles. The European Parliament‘s January 2024 resolution – followed by the European Court of Auditors, on its November 2024 report ‘Consumers can get lost in the maze of labels’ – explicitly criticised this failure, stressing that the lack of nutrient profiles fundamentally undermines the goal of protecting consumers from misleading food labelling and claims.

The Turkish context exemplifies the consequences of this regulatory inaction: 82.7% of snack bars fall into unfavourable nutritional categories whilst simultaneously bearing nutritional claims about protein content, fibre, or natural ingredients. As European consumer organisations have highlighted, this situation allows sugar-laden breakfast cereals to promote vitamin content and high-fat processed foods to boast about protein, leaving consumers to navigate misleading claims without adequate regulatory protection (BEUC, 2025).

Turkey’s adoption of mandatory nutrient profiles, aligned with international standards but adapted to local dietary patterns, could position the nation as a regional leader in food regulation whilst the EU continues its ‘eternal unfinished regulation’ approach. The implementation of such profiles would immediately prevent the health halo effect documented in this study, whereby protein bars with 4.0 g/100g saturated fat or fruit bars with 39.0 g/100g sugar could no longer make health-oriented claims. This regulatory framework should be accompanied by robust enforcement mechanisms and regular scientific review to ensure that only genuinely nutritious products can communicate health benefits, ultimately protecting public health from the documented risks of diet-related chronic diseases.

Interim conclusions

This comprehensive assessment of Turkish snack bars reveals substantial nutritional heterogeneity and widespread failure to meet internationally recognised nutrition quality standards, with 82.7% of products classified in less favourable Nutri-Score categories. The study identifies category-specific nutritional challenges – elevated saturated fat in protein bars, excessive sugars in fruit & nut bars, and high sodium in whole grain/oat bars – providing clear targets for reformulation efforts. The findings underscore the urgent need for transparent front-of-pack labelling, strategic product reformulation, and comprehensive consumer education to address the health halo effect and promote informed dietary choices.

The implementation of the Nutri-Score system in Turkey could catalyse positive changes across the snack bar industry whilst empowering consumers with actionable nutritional information. Success will require coordinated efforts among policymakers, manufacturers, and public health advocates to create an enabling environment for healthier product innovation. As Turkey confronts escalating rates of diet-related chronic diseases, improving the nutritional quality of widely consumed snack products represents a critical component of comprehensive public health strategy. The study provides essential baseline data and actionable recommendations to guide these efforts, ultimately contributing to improved population health outcomes.

Dario Dongo

References

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