Health Star Ratings
Do you use health star ratings to help you make a better choice?
What are health star ratings (HSR)?
It is a front of packet labelling system designed to help consumers quickly compare similar products and make a healthier choice. It is a voluntary system and no fees are involved for a company receiving a health star rating. Values are calculated using the health star rating calculator based on the amount of energy, saturated fat, sugar and sodium a product contains (per 100g/mL). Vegetables and fruits don't have health star ratings because they are generally not packaged.
The ratings given are from .5 to 5 stars. It is designed to evaluate the overall nutritional value of the product. This means that one negative attribute can be cancelled our by a positive attribute. Let me give you an example.. A cereal that is high in added sugars can increase its health star rating by adding in fibre.
Health star ratings are designed to be compared only to products in their same category. Here is another example - these macadamia nuts score 3.5 stars, the same as the corn chips. Which is a better choice in terms of health? I would say the macadamia nuts. They are unprocessed, low GI and contain fibre for a healthy gut. The corn chips on the other hand - contains - Corn, Canola Oil, Salt, Sunflower oil, Antioxidants (Tocopherols, Ascorbic Acid, Rosemary Extract, Citric Acid). They also contain trans fats which can increase your LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower your HDL (good cholesterol). You can read more about fats and heart health here if you're interested.
Let me give you another example of a food with a higher health star rating that I don't think deserves it....
Milo protein cereal - has a 4 star health rating!
Here is the ingredients list... Whole Grain Cereals (34%) (Wheat , Corn), Wheat Protein (22%), Sugar, Formulated Supplementary Food Base: Milo (10%) [Malt Extract (Rice And/Or Barley ), Milk Powder, Sugar, Cocoa, Choc Malt Blend, Minerals (Calcium, Iron), Vitamins (C, B3, B6, B2, D, B12), Emulsifier ( Soy Lecithin)], Wheat Starch, Cocoa, Malt Extract (Barley , Rice), Sunflower Oil, Flavours, Emulsifier ( Soy Lecithin), Salt. Vitamins and Minerals Minerals (Calcium, Iron, Zinc), Vitamins (C, Niacin, E, B1, B6, B2, Folic Acid).
The third ingredient is sugar.... (alarm bells start ringing)... per 45g this cereal has 10.1 grams of sugar - about two and a half teaspoons. Protein is 10.8g which can easily be met through 2 small eggs. And a measly 2.6g of fibre (1/10th of your daily recommended intake for an adult woman).
Milo protein cereal has a 4 star health rating…
This product (Weet-Bix Blends) has the same health star rating (4)... And a better nutritional profile.
Ingredients - Whole Grain Cereals (73%) [Wheat (39%), Rye (12%), Sorghum (11%), Oats (11%)], Rice, Sugar, Puffed Wheat, Barley Malt Extract, Coconut (1.5%), Salt, Honey (0.5%), Vegetable Oil, Vitamins [Niacin, Riboflavin, Vitamin E (Contains Soy), Thiamin, Folate], Mineral (Iron).
Fibre per 48g serve is 4.3g, protein is 5.1g and sugar is 4.8g (less than half of the milo cereal).
Weet-Bix also scores a 4 star health rating but has a better nutritional profile.
Up & Go's get a 4.5 star health rating despite containing a staggering 15.8g of sugar per serve! Madness!
Up & Go gets 4.5 stars!
What is the main take away from this article? HSRs should be interpreted with caution. Read your labels and make it a point to understand them. HSRs should not be the only point of information you use to make an informed choice about food selection. And don't forget the basics - like the majority of your diet should come from minimally processed foods - particularly plant foods.
