What is a Health Star Rating
An important component of making healthy food choices is being able to navigate the supermarket and make choices that align with your nutrition goals. Many people have a difficult time reading food labels and distinguishing whether a product has clever marketing or if it is genuinely great.
One component of food labels that causes a lot of confusion is the Health Star Rating. Have you ever picked up a packet of lollies to see 5-stars and then comparatively looked at a bottle of milk to see 2-stars and decided that the system must be broken? You’re not alone! This is a story I’ve heard many times.
How to use Health Star Ratings
The core issue with the example above is that Health Star Ratings are not intended to be used this way. Instead, they were designed to help you quickly compare like-for-like packaged products, such as one brand of Greek yoghurt vs. a different brand of Greek yoghurt or choosing a muesli bar.
How is the Health Star Rating calculated?
A calculation is used to determine the Health Star Rating, which takes into account the amount of key nutrients per 100g/mL:
- Energy (kJ/calories)
- Saturated Fat
- Sodium (salt)
- Sugars
- Protein
- Fibre
- Fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes within the item
These components have been selected based on the role they play in contributing to the development of chronic diseases. Excess saturated fat, sodium and sugar are linked to being overweight or obese, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. On the other hand, adequate protein, fibre, fruit, vegetable, nut and legume consumption is great for our health.
There are quite a few steps involved in brands calculating the Health Star Rating to be displayed, but for us as consumers it is important to understand the basics. More energy (kJ), saturated fat, sodium and sugar will essentially lower the Health Star Rating, while higher amounts of protein and fibre, plus the inclusion of fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes will increase the Health Star Rating. After the calculations of these nutrients, the product will then be given a rating from 1/2 a star to 5 stars, with 1/2 a star being the worst and 5 being the best.
Any real, claimed or potential health effects (often also seen on the front of the food labels) or important nutrients are not included in the calculations.
Reading the Health Star Ratings on packaging
The Health Star Rating may either be displayed as just their simple Star Rating or it may be displayed with the nutrient content information to the side or below.
This additional information will specifically include saturated fat, sodium (salt) and total sugars, which are the key nutrients we are generally hoping to reduce in our diet. The label may also include a positive nutrient, such as protein, fibre or specific vitamin or mineral.
Energy content has historically been displayed here too. However, from November 2020 it was removed from this style of display.
The Health Star Ratings are a great way to quickly make a decision about a packaged product, as they are displayed on the front of the label. The calculations are also based on a consistent measure of 100g/mL, which means they are able to be compared across products. Therefore, be sure to choose a product with close to 5 stars. That said, packaged food will always also include the ingredients list and the Nutrition Information Panel, where nutrients are listed per serving and per 100g and are an important component of making a final decision on products when possible.
Is the Health Star Rating on all food products?
The Health Star Rating isn’t expected on fresh produce, such as fruits and vegetables, tea, coffee, non-nutritive condiments (salt, pepper, herbs, spices) and single ingredient food that are not eating alone, such as flour. That said, fresh and minimally processed fruit and vegetable products with no additions of sugar, salt or fat (e.g. frozen vegetables) automatically receive a 5-star rating.
Other products have been excluded from the system, such as alcoholic beverages, formulated products for infants and young children, sports foods and food for medical purposes.
The Health Star Rating is still a voluntary inclusion on packaging by food labels, so it may not be present on some foods just by choice of the brand.
Hopefully this summary on the Health Star Rating helps reduce the confusion at the supermarket and helps you make great nutrition decisions while shopping! If you feel you need more personalised advice or additional support in navigating the world of food labels, an appointment with our Dietitian Alex might be right for you! She sees patients in the clinic and on TeleHealth Monday mornings and Tuesday afternoons.
Alex Stone & Issy White
Dietitian & Nutritionist
References:
https://www.sanitarium.com.au/social-purpose/passion-for-plant-based-foods/health-star-rating
