A variety of frozen pizza scored a higher star rating than a yoghurt.Source: News Limited
Dietitians complain that some processed foods high in salt, fat, sugar, and in additives and preservatives, are receiving a higher star rating than healthier natural foods.
The Herald Sun found several anomalies, including:
BLACK and Gold Meat Lovers frozen pizza got four stars while Black and Gold Greek-style yoghurt only got one star.
NESTLE Jaffas chocolates got three stars compared with just 2 and a half stars for Coles Australian Extra Tasty Cheddar Cubes.
WOOLWORTHS Select Straight Cut Potato chips got the maximum 5-star rating — more than the 4½ stars for fresh Pink Lady apples.
The examples were drawn from the George Institute of Global Health’s FoodSwitch website, which allows consumers to find the ratings of thousands of products based on the Government’s formula.
Food manufacturers are being urged to sign up to a star-based health labelling scheme.
Pizza is one of the products that has caused controversy. Source: HeraldSun
George Institute senior director Dr Bruce Neal said although the health-star system was not perfect, “it gets it right in the vast majority of times”.
A Health Department representative said: “The Health Star Rating system is not intended to be used to compare products across categories. The real value of the system is that it enables consumers to make healthier choices by comparing products within a food category.”
Nutritionist Steph Wearne has criticised the system for “conning” consumers rather than aiding better choices.
“A rating system like this is making it more difficult for shoppers,” she said.
“If people based their product choices just on the star system they could end up with a trolley full of processed products.”
Ms Wearne said the star system only added more confusion and was tantamount to a marketing campaign to persuade consumers to buy “processed, nutrient-poor food”.
Dietitian Nicole Senior said the system was simple and easy to understand, but had some shortcomings.
“It was designed for processed food. Now, fresh food that is packaged is also included but the system is not designed to rate those foods,” she said.
“Vegetables, fruits and nuts are among whole fresh foods that are packaged, and I would expect people to know they are good foods and not avoid them because of the star system.”