Public health groups in Australia and New Zealand are urging their governments to mandate health star ratings on all food products.
Australian and New Zealand food ministers are asked to outline a clear timeline for the quick rollout of a mandatory Health Star Rating system, as the November 14 deadline for manufacturers to reach the final voluntary uptake target of 70% draws near.
Dr. Alexandra Jones, lead of the Food Governance programme at The George Institute for Global Health, said a 2019 review found the system to be effective, with consumers understanding and using it, but emphasised that it should be applied to a greater number of products.
Health Star Ratings range from 0.5 to 5 stars and reflect the overall nutritional quality of a product. The rating is calculated using an algorithm that takes into account the levels of sugar, salt, fat, fibre, and protein and the presence of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes.
Jones noted that since the scheme was voluntary, it tended to be displayed more frequently on products with higher ratings.
Research by the institute revealed that 60% of five-star-rated products displayed the rating, compared to only 16% of products that would receive a half-star rating if displayed.
At present, only 24% of products with a rating of three stars or below are displaying their scores.
Jones said the implementation of mandatory country-of-origin labelling in Australia demonstrated that broad and swift changes to food labelling are possible when enforced by legislation.
Manufacturer uptake has stalled over the past four years, and Jones expressed her desire for a decision on mandatory legislation to be made by the end of next year.
“There is evidence that it’s guiding consumers to better choices; also that industry is removing salt and sugar from products, for example, to avoid warning labels.”
“So we’re seeing benefits to the healthiness of the food supply overall and benefits to consumer choices.”
Research published in the Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand in March revealed that the Health Star Rating system has delivered only minimal health benefits for Kiwis.
The research evaluated if the rating system motivated food manufacturers to reformulate their products in order to achieve higher ratings.
According to researcher Professor Cliona Ni Mhurchu, the study found that if the Health Star Rating system in New Zealand were made mandatory and applied to all eligible products within the same food categories, the resulting health improvements from product reformulation would rise to 24,300 health-adjusted life years, alongside $568 million in savings for the health system.
However, she said the benefits remain modest compared to other potentially more effective policy measures, like combining a fruit and vegetable subsidy with a sugar tax.