Nutrition labelling on the packaging of food and drinks can enable people to make informed decisions about the healthiness of products on offer. There is evidence that nutrition labelling can lead people to select healthier options. Government-led front-of-pack nutrition labelling can be used to promote healthy diets.
| Indicator | Result | Previous | Assessment* | What was measured? | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Health Star Rating** |
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Proportion of packaged food and drinks that display the Health Star Rating |
36% |
36% |
Packaged food and drinks available in Australian supermarkets in 2023 that are intended to display the HSR, compared with previous assessment in 2022 |
State of the Food Supply Australia (2023)
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|
Average Health Star Rating (HSR) of packaged foods with HSR present vs absent on label |
3.3 stars (present) vs 2.6 stars (absent) |
3.2 stars (present) vs 2.5 stars (absent) |
Packaged food and drinks available in Australian supermarkets in 2023 that are intended to display the HSR, compared with previous assessment in 2022 |
The George Institute, FoodSwitch data 2022 and 2023
|
|
Nutrition content claims*** |
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Proportion of packaged food products with nutrition content claims |
56% |
Small sample of 215 ultra-processed foods from five leading food manufacturers in these food categories: breakfast cereals, snacks, confectionery, condiments and ‘meal replacements’ (2015) |
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Proportion of nutrition content claims that did not fully comply with regulations |
82% |
Small sample of 215 ultra-processed foods from five leading food manufacturers in these food categories: breakfast cereals, snacks, confectionery, condiments and ‘meal replacements’ (2015) |
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Health claims*** |
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Proportion of packaged food products with health claims |
25% |
Small sample of 215 ultra-processed foods from five leading food manufacturers in these food categories: breakfast cereals, snacks, confectionery, condiments and ‘meal replacements’ (2015) |
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Proportion of health claims that did not fully comply with regulations |
21% |
Small sample of 215 ultra-processed foods from five leading food manufacturers (2015) |
* Green = ‘Promotes health’; Amber = ‘Needs further improvement to promote health’; Red = ‘Unhealthy’. Refer to Indicator Assessment Criteria at the bottom of the page.
** The Health Star Rating (HSR) labelling system, endorsed by the Australian Government in 2014, was designed to provide an overall signal about a food’s healthiness. Each product is given a rating from 0.5 to 5 stars, with more stars signalling a healthier product. Implementation of HSR on food products is currently voluntary for food manufacturers. The government has set a target of 70% of foods that are intended to display a HSR by November 2025, with interim targets of 50% by November 2023 and 60% by November 2024.
*** Food companies can add nutrition content claims (eg. “low in fat”) and health claims (eg. “calcium for healthy bones and teeth”) to product labels. These are regulated by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and food companies must comply with the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.
Key Findings
- Current uptake of the Health Star Rating (HSR) on packaged products that are intended to display a HSR falls well short of the Australian government target of 50% uptake by November 2023. Given Health Star Rating uptake has remained unchanged at 36% for the past three years (2021, 2022, 2023) it is unlikely the food industry will meet the government’s target of 60% by November 2024 and 70% by November 2025.
- Food manufacturers are more likely to display the Health Star Rating on products that have a higher rating (more stars), suggesting that the Health Star Rating is being used predominantly when it aligns with marketing benefit to food companies.
- It is estimated that over half of ultra-processed food products feature a nutrition content claim (e.g. “low in fat”), despite these products generally being considered unhealthy. The use of nutrition content claims may serve to increase consumptio0n of these products.
- There is only limited nutrition information provided for fast foods at point-of-sale. This limits the ability of consumers to make informed choices.
Key Recommendations
- Government regulatory action to mandate the display of the Health Star Rating on all intended foods is required to increase uptake on food products, particularly on less healthy foods.
- Greater policy action is needed to improve the nutrition information provided at point-of-sale in fast food outlets to allow consumers to make informed choices.
- Policies to address the lack of quality and accuracy of information (including health and nutrition content claims) provided on food packaging are required to assist Australians in making informed food choices.
For more information
Websites
Visit the Obesity Evidence Hub for key evidence on obesity trends, impacts, prevention & treatment in Australia. Access information about Nutrition Labelling.
Journal Articles
- Shahid M, Neal B, Jones A (2020) Uptake of Australia’s Health Star Rating System 2014–2019. Nutrients, 2020 Jun;12(6):1791.
- Pulker CE, Scott, JA and Pollard CM) (2017) Ultra-processed family foods in Australia: Nutrition claims, health claims and marketing techniques Public Health Nutrition, 21(1), pp. 38–48.
Reports
- The George Institute for Global Health: FoodSwitch State of the Food Supply, a five year review, Australia 2023
- The George Institute for Global Health: FoodSwitch State of the Food Supply Australia 2022
- The George Institute for Global Health: FoodSwitch State of the Food Supply Australia 2021
- The George Institute for Global Health: FoodSwitch State of the Food Supply Australia 2020
Media
- The Conversation: Clear nutrition labels can encourage healthier eating habits. Here’s how Australia’s food labelling can improve (2023)
- The Conversation: We looked at the health star rating of 20,000 foods and this is what we found (2020)
| Indicator Assessment Criteria | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | |||
Uptake of Health Star Rating labelling |
≥ 80% |
40 – 79% |
<40% |
Average Health Star Rating (HSR) of packaged foods with HSR present vs absent on label |
Equal HSR when HSR is absent and present on label |
0.5 star difference between HSR present vs absent |
> 0.5 star difference between HSR present vs absent on label |
Proportion of nutrient content / health claims that do not comply with regulations |
0% |
1 – 10% |
> 10% |