The truth about supermarket Health Star Ratings

Supermarket Health Star Ratings have been a guide for shoppers since 2014, but how accurate are they?

Transcript

00:00The Health Star rating system was introduced in 2014 to make healthy shopping easier, but does it actually work?

00:10The system rates packaged foods from 0.5 to 5 stars based on nutrients like sugar, sodium and fibre,

00:19but it's come under fire for favouring processed foods over fresh produce.

00:25A notable example is the Aussie classic Milo, which initially scored 4.5 stars.

00:33After a public outcry, Nestle removed their ratings from the powder tins in 2018.

00:41Let's put that into perspective.

00:45A tin of Milo was once rated the same Health Star rating as a loaf of white bread from Wonder,

00:52but less than a litre of full cream milk, less than a peanut butter jar and less than a Caesar salad.

01:00Surprisingly, the Health Star rating system is voluntary, so manufacturers can choose to participate,

01:07often when it benefits their product.

01:11Recent reforms, such as updating the criteria to better reflect the nutritional quality of products, have made some improvements.

01:19However, experts argue that the system still doesn't fully capture a product's overall healthiness.

01:26For example, whole foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, which have no rating, are often harder to compare.