Assistant Health Minister Fiona Nash ordered the original site be taken down. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
State and federal ministers will reinstate a healthy food star rating system that was controversially pulled offline by federal Assistant Health Minister Fiona Nash and her junk-food lobbyist chief of staff.
At a meeting in Sydney this morning they voted to reinstate the website, and affirmed support for the scheme that will allow food producers to adopt a voluntary system for comparing the healthiness of different types of foods.
Similar foods, such as cheeses or drinks, will be given a rating out of five based on their levels of both nutritious and unhealthy ingredients.
A screen grab obtained by Fairfax Media of the Health Star Rating website that was shut down. Photo: supplied
Public health groups and consumer groups have hailed the decision as a key step in fighting Australia’s dangerously high obesity rates.