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BACKGROUND BRIEFING: Crunch time for Health Star Ratings as voluntary phase nears end
There’s currently no obligation on manufacturers to include Health Star Ratings on packaged foods and drinks sold in Australia and New Zealand, and the governments’ deadline for the final target of 70% of products showing the label voluntarily is rapidly approaching (the cut-off is Nov 14th this year).
However, overall take-up is currently sitting at around 36% - and has been for three years. Uptake is highly skewed and often used as a marketing tool, with uptake at 60% for high-star-rating products, while for the lowest rated products - those earning just half a star - it’s a dismal 16%.
Because it is not compulsory, nutrition and public health experts argue consumers can’t use Health Star Ratings as intended – as a simple, front-of-pack, graphic tool to compare similar products and choose healthier options.
They say the labels should be made mandatory as quickly as possible, now that the voluntary system has failed. In other countries, mandatory systems are working.
The Australian and New Zealand governments are gearing up to make Health Star Ratings compulsory, but in a recent update, the Australian Government said it would allow 18 months to consider a formal mandating proposal, including additional industry consultation. A further transition period of two to five years means consumers may have to wait until 2029 (or 15 years since the system launched in 2014) before the rating appears on all eligible products. Meanwhile, diet-related disease continues to skyrocket.
Experts would like the Australian government to make the labels mandatory much sooner, in line with the latest nutrition and food labelling evidence and World Health Organization recommendations. They are calling on the ANZ Food Ministers to provide a detailed, expedited plan that includes regular reviews of the system. They also want to see industry representatives no longer permitted to input into designing and overseeing the policy, including the algorithm underlying the rating.
To learn more about Health Star Ratings and their future, join us to hear from nutrition and food labelling experts at this online briefing for journalists.
Panellists:
- Dr Alexandra Jones is Program Lead, Food Governance at The George Institute for Global Health and a Conjoint Associate Professor at UNSW Sydney
- Magriet Raxworthy is CEO of Dietitians Australia
- Dr Bridget Kelly is an Associate Professor of Public Health Nutrition at the University of Wollongong
JOIN THE BRIEFING
Date:Wed 13 Aug 2025
Start Time: 10:30am AEST
Duration: Approx 45 min
Venue: Online - Zoom
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