The Federal Government will push for all food products to have mandatory Health Star Ratings (HSR).
The system rates similar food products based on nutrition indicators.
Currently, manufacturers choose to opt in to rating their products.
Assistant Health Minister Rebecca White is advocating for all food products to be rated “to enhance consumer choice.”
A meeting of food ministers from Australia and New Zealand supported the proposal on Friday.
HSR
The HSR system was introduced in 2014 through a collaboration between the Australian, state and territory, and NZ governments, along with industry, public health and consumer groups.
It rates food in half-star increments from zero to five stars, based on the amount of fibre, sugar, sodium, saturated fat, energy (kilojoules) and protein it has.
HSRs are currently voluntary, meaning companies can opt in to labelling their products with a rating.
Products fall into six categories:
- Non-dairy beverages, jellies and water-based ice blocks;
- Dairy beverages (and alternatives);
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- Dairy foods (and alternatives);
- Oils and oil-based spreads;
- Cheese; and
- Other foods.
To determine the rating, products are compared to like products and should be treated as such.
For example: a loaf of bread could be rated 2/5 stars in comparison to other breads on the market, while a bottle of soft drink could be rated 3/5 stars compared to other carbonated drinks.
This does not mean the soft drink is healthier than the bread.
Mandate
This week, White announced a push for the HSR to be displayed on all food products to “ensure all shoppers can quickly and easily compare the different options on supermarket shelves.”
She said: “Many Australians want to make healthier choices... but don’t have time to read through complex nutritional tables or ingredients lists.”
On Friday, state, territory, and NZ food ministers supported the idea of making it mandatory, and committed to consulting the public.
