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The government has pledged to look into making the system mandatory if the intended goals are not achieved, and it seems that this scenario is now unfolding.
“It appears that food manufacturers are being quite selective about where they apply Health Star Ratings,” an official commented. “They often highlight their healthier products with the ratings, using them as a marketing advantage, while avoiding their use on less healthy items.”
The Health Star Rating system evaluates the nutritional quality of packaged foods and beverages, assigning a score ranging from 0.5 to 5 stars.
Source: SBS News
Using an online calculator, manufacturers plug in four key “negative” nutrients which lower the score of an item: kilojoules, saturated fat, sugars and sodium.
– Fibre
– Protein
– Fruit, vegetable, nuts and legume content (FVNL)
“This idea of being able to add enough good ingredients in to balance that out, it doesn’t really work. It’s still a junk food.”
Low-rated products less likely to display a rating
Just 16 per cent of products that would receive half a star were labelled, and only 24 per cent of products that scored three stars or lower showed a rating.
Source: SBS News
Jones, of The George Institute, said in August the lack of consistency makes it difficult for consumers to compare items.
She called for a “clear and expedient timeline” to mandate ratings in addition to regular, independent reviews of the algorithm underlying the system.
Processing not factored in
“You’re getting these ultra-processed foods that can go through the algorithm and say they’re really healthy,” said Dickie, whose research has looked specifically at the Health Star Rating system.
Source: SBS News
Artificial sweeteners are also not accounted for by the system, meaning zero-sugar soft drinks and cordials can rate up to 3.5 stars.
Artificial sweeteners have been linked to gut issues, she said, and can promote taste preferences for sweetened food and drinks.
Up & Go liquid breakfast products, which contain fibre and protein, rate between 4.5 to 5 stars. Various brands of packaged chips have ratings of up to 3.5 stars. Milo snack bars have ratings of 4 stars while other snack products like LCMs choc-chip display a 1-star label.
Consumers want more transparency, surveys suggest
About two-thirds said making the system mandatory would make it more useful, and 65 per cent said it would help simplify their purchasing decisions.
Should a flawed system be mandated?
She suggested that outlier products with inaccurate ratings make up only a small fraction of the picture, but said the large majority “do provide the right information”. She called, however, for better messaging to the public on how to appropriately read the ratings.
“Our preference would be to change it to a warning-based system,” she said.
Food ministers meeting early next year
If ministers decide to mandate the system, it could still take several years before consumers see the effects on the shelves.
“Health Stars help consumers to quickly and easily compare similar products. It won’t help you to choose between bacon and breakfast cereal. But if you’ve decided to buy breakfast cereal then it will help you to choose a healthier option.”
“Any shift of the HSR to a mandatory measure would require adequate timeframes and support to ensure long-term planning and avoid unnecessary waste or disruption to production.”
