Nestle to use Nutri-Score nutrition-labeling in Europe

ZURICH (Reuters) - Nestle <NESN.S> will give its food products ratings according to their nutritional value, the packaged food company said, so customers can better decide the healthiness of their shopping.

The maker of KitKat chocolate bars and Nesquik milkshake powder will introduce a labeling system using colors in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany and Switzerland, starting in the first half of 2020.

Nestle said more than more than 5,000 products in the five countries will feature Nutri-Score, a color-coded system which rates food from Green and the letter A, for healthier products, to red and the letter E, for products whose ingredients are less healthy.

Food makers have been criticized by groups including the Union of Concerned Scientists for confusing labels that have made it difficult for customers to reduce their sugar and fat intake or increase fiber in their diet.

Nestle brands on which Nutri-Score will appear include plant-based products from Garden Gourmet, Nesquik chocolate-flavored milk, Buitoni pizzas, Nescafe coffee, Maggi products and KitKat chocolate bars, the company said.

(Reporting by John Revill, editing by John Miller)