Doctors call for mandatory food star ratings to stop health 'crisis'

Food companies choose whether to display health star ratings. (ABC Radio Melbourne: Rosa Ritchie) Public consultation has begun on a proposal to make health star ratings mandatory on all packaged food and drinks sold in Australia. Health and medical bodies want mandatory star ratings to help shoppers make healthier choices. A decision on mandatory food star ratings is expected in 2027. Link copiedShareShare articleAdding health star ratings to all packaged foods could stop the "worsening national crisis" of obesity, public health bodies say as they push for changes to the labelling system. Ranging from half a star to five stars, the health star rating was designed to help shoppers quickly compare the nutritional value of similar products. They are voluntary, allowing food and beverage companies to choose whether or not to use them. Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is considering a proposal to make the stars mandatory on all packaged food. The health star rating could become mandatory on all packaged food and drinks. (Supplied: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing) FSANZ said the uptake of health star ratings was well below the 70 per cent target set by Australian and New Zealand food ministers, with fewer than 40 per cent of intended products displaying it. The regulator said that the gap in uptake prompted renewed consideration of a mandatory system to deliver consistent, trusted nutrition information for consumers. Doctors and health organisations, from the Cancer Council to Diabetes Australia, said it would boost public health. But the grocery industry believes the voluntary system is working and mandatory label changes will burden businesses with additional costs. The Food and Grocery Council says mandatory health star ratings would be costly. (ABC News and AAP) Research carried out for FSANZ found most consumers reported they rarely noticed or used the health star rating, while a smaller number said they consulted it for specific items, such as lunch box snacks or children's breakfast cereal. Shoppers said they supported the idea of making the rating compulsory as it would increase consumers' confidence in the system. Ministers from across Australia and New Zealand with responsibility for food expressed concern about the low uptake of the rating when they met in February. They agreed, by majority, to request FSANZ to prepare a proposal to mandate the system. Australia Assistant Minister for Health Rebecca White announced the opening of public submissions in May. "Right now, not every product carries a health star rating, which can make it harder for people to make informed choices when they're standing in the supermarket aisle," she said. "Putting simple, clear information on the front of packaging, will ensure all shoppers can quickly and easily make healthier choices." Danielle McMullen says the voluntary health star system is not working. (Supplied: AMA) Doctors and public health associations say it is time to enforce the ratings. The Australian Medical Association (AMA) is particularly concerned about the worsening obesity crisis. AMA federal president Danielle McMullen said obesity rates had increased for more than 25 years and would continue without decisive action. "For the health star rating system to be truly effective, it must be led by government and free of industry interference." Dr McMullen said obesity was a major risk factor for chronic conditions including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. "Australians live busy lives … and should have a food labelling system that helps them make healthy choices about the food they eat," said Diabetes Australia CEO Justine Cain. The Heart Foundation also agreed that consistent food labelling was "a critical public health measure". Alexandra Jones leads the George Institute for Global Health's food governance program. (ABC News: Scott Preston) George Institute for Global Health food governance program lead Alexandra Jones, whose organisation has been monitoring the health star rating for 12 years, said "consumers simply can't use" the ratings system because "the stars were still missing from the majority of products". "There's a conflict of interest between the food industry and the scores of any particular product," Dr Jones said. The Australian Food and Grocery Council said rating and labelling changes would come at "significant" cost for businesses. The council's director of health and regulatory affairs, Duncan Craig, said the industry was happy with the current system. "We have businesses that could have over 200 different product variants, each of those require really detailed assessments. "What FSANZ is proposing is some slight tweaks to the way the health star rating label is applied … these sound small, but do have a lot of impacts to businesses."

Doctors call for mandatory food star ratings to stop health 'crisis'

Key takeaways

More in international