From VAT reduction to Nutri-Score: CBL focuses on lifestyle prevention

The Centraal Bureau Levensmiddelenhandel (CBL), the trade association for Dutch supermarkets and food service companies, emphasizes the importance of a healthier product range for consumers. In the run-up to the Lifestyle Prevention commission debate on May 16th, there is a strong focus on possible policy adjustments to make healthier choices more accessible for consumers.

Mandatory Nutri-Score

CBL advocates for the mandatory introduction of the Nutri-Score food choice logo on all food products. Currently, supermarkets and wholesalers apply this logo to their own brand products, but it is often missing on A-brand products. A mandatory Nutri-Score would enable consumers to compare products within a category more effectively based on their health value, making the healthier choice clearer and simpler.

VAT reduction on fruits and vegetables

Another proposal from the CBL is to lower the VAT on fruits and vegetables. The aim here is to make healthy eating more affordable for everyone. CBL views meal kits as a positive interim step but stresses that government intervention is necessary to make healthy food financially accessible to the wider population.

Limiting children's marketing

Finally, the CBL is focusing on further restricting children's marketing for unhealthy products. Although supermarkets have already ceased such marketing practices on their own brand products, the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) is working on a bill to tackle these practices more broadly. CBL supports this initiative, which aims to promote only healthy products through children's marketing.

Cbl.nl