HEALTH STAR RATING SYSTEM
Dr Anne Astin
Deputy Chair
Health Star Rating Advisory Committee
Aim of the Health Star Rating System
‘To provide convenient, relevant and readily understood nutrition
information and/or guidance on food packs to assist consumers to make
informed food purchases and healthier eating choices.’
A scheme that can guide consumer choice towards healthier food
options and aims to guide consumer choice by:
• Enabling direct comparison between individual foods that, within the
overall diet, may contribute to the risk factors of various diet related
chronic diseases.
• Being readily understandable and meaningful across socio-economic
groups, culturally and linguistically diverse groups and low
literacy/low numeracy groups.
• Focus on processed, packaged food at retail level
Development process
Legislative Governance Forum
on Food Regulation
Food and Health
Ministers
Steering committee
FRSC based with
AHMAC representation
Project committee
State, Industry, Health
and Consumer
representations
Technical Design Working
Group (TDWG)
Industry, Public Health,
Food Regulation
Implementation Working
Group (IWG)
Industry, Public Health,
Food Regulation
SA Health
The Health Star Rating System
• Front of Pack Label, displaying an interpretive score (health star rating
score – HSRS) along with the optional display of defined nutrient
icons within a standardised design.
• Underpinned by the HSR Style Guide and Guide to Industry to the
HSR Calculator, and with reference to the Food Standards Code and
the Australian Guide to Health Eating.
• Star rating derived using modified NPSC model
• Baseline points (key nutrients – saturated fat, total sugars, sodium and
energy)
• Modifying points (positive nutrients – protein, fibre, fnvl)
• Points attributed to nutrient levels (per 100g)
• Convert points to Health Star Rating:
 score range ½-5 stars in ½ star increments
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HSR Style Guide and HSR Label Development
HSR Style Guide
• Developed in consultation with industry, public health,
consumer and Government representatives.
• Targeted consultation with industry, public health and
consumer stakeholders – Nov and Dec 2013.
• Feedback – greater flexibility in the artwork to accommodate
vertical display of stars and stacked nutrient icons where
package/shape requires.
• HSR Style Guide is available at www.ahmac.gov.au.
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HSR Style Guide and HSR Label Development
HSR Label Artwork
• Consultation with industry regarding flexibility of design
specifications in the HSR Style Guide.
• Alternative artwork developed in consultation with food
companies and retailers.
• The FoPL Secretariat can provide design files of the artwork –
frontofpack@health.gov.au or
1800 099 658.
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Key Elements of Artwork
Nutrient icons
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The Health Star
Rating
OPTIONAL - energy display
%DI or ‘per serve’ when
product is a single
consumption pack only
Energy
Sat Fat
Sugars
Sodium
+ option positive
nutrient
OPTIONAL – addition of
‘High’ or ‘Low’ determined
by Health Claims Standard
* Label elements endorsed by the Forum 12/6/13
Use of the label
• HSR system label must be displayed on the front of the
packaged food.
• Must conform with Legibility Requirements (STD 1.2.9).
• No defined colour guidelines. Intention to ensure maximum
legibility using contrast of existing colour palette.
• May be used in conjunction with other existing systems i.e.
DIG, however, placement must be made to ensure that they
are clearly separated.
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Label Hierarchy
Food companies are encouraged to use as
many elements of the HSR System as possible
consistent with the hierarchy.
1. Energy icon + health star rating + 3 prescribed
nutrient icons + 1 optional nutrient icon
(recommended)
2. Energy icon + health star rating + 3 prescribed
nutrient icons (recommended)
3. Energy icon + health star rating
4. Health star rating or just energy icon.
• It is the responsibility of food companies to
determine which presentation format is most
suitable for their products, based on available
pack size and label space.
• The energy icon in option 4 is best suited for
small packages / labels, as well as some
confectionery and beverages.
Example designs
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Using the HSR calculator
Adopters & Supporters Workshops
August/September 2014
HSR development process
Stage (1)
Profiler scores
• Collect food nutrient data from industry,
including fibre and FVNL content not
available in NIPs
• Validate nutrient content data using
FSANZ food modelling tools
• Remove duplicate foods
• Remove exempted foods
• With assistance from FSANZ verify that
(1) the food database adequately covers
the scope of foods and nutrient content
in the Australian/New Zealand market,
and that (2) all AGHE categories are
represented
Food database
• Extend and/or in-fill NPSC profiler ‘A’ &
‘C’ nutrient tables, to cover the full scope
of nutrient content in the market
• Confirm the profiler categories for the
extended NPSC (food, beverages,
fats/cheese)
• Allocate all foods to their respective
category
• Profile all foods by category using the
extended tables, following the profiling
methods set out in ANZFSC 1.2.7
• Verify that the HSR calculator and FSANZ
STATA NPSC models agree using the
extended tables, for all foods in the
database
• Collect additional food data, calculate the
range of scores & percentiles to be used
for the ‘clip & scale’ process, for each
possible HSR category. Confirm the
resulting HSR scaling categories
• By selection of end-point scores, centre
each HSR category range at AGHE
‘everyday’ food scores of 3 stars, NPSC
scores of 2.5 stars
• To improve centring, define additional
HSR categories (3 dairy categories,
fats/oils)
• Assign outlier foods (‘clipped’ from
beyond the end-points) scores of 1 or 10,
as applicable. Drop each remaining food
into one of 10 equal intervals between
the end points, according to their food
score
Stage (2) Star
points
As a result …
• HSR calculations are a two-stage process
• (Stage 1) HSR Profiler
• Uses the same food categories as the NPSC – beverages, foods,
fats/hard cheeses
• (Stage 2) HSR Star Point Calculator
• Uses the same three NPSC categories but adds three subcategories for dairy foods – total of 6 categories for calculations
• For ease of use ten categories are used in the HSR
calculator for data input purposes
• Similar to those used in the ADGs
• Internally six ‘calibration categories’ are used for
star score calculations
• All this is potentially confusing!
The HSR category scheme
NPSC
(1) NPSC Beverages
(2) NPSC Foods
(3) NPSC Fats, oils, cheese
Beverages, non-dairy
Core Cereals
Fats, oils
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Fruit juices & drinks
Flavoured and/or fortified beverages
(carbonated or still)
Cordial (made up)
Lifestyle beverages (protein, energy
drinks)
Vegetable juices and drinks
Bread, buns
Breakfast cereals
Pasta/flour/grains
Fats
Extracted oils
Oil based spreads
Fruit
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Processed
Unprocessed
Protein
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Meats/fish
Nuts
Plant protein foods
Vegetables
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HSR
Processed
Unprocessed
Non-core foods
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Cream, cream cheese, specialty bakery foods, cake
mixes, biscuits, confectionery, custards, deserts,
dips, dressings, ice confection, ice cream, jelly,
meals/meal bases, pizza, sauces/condiments, salty
and other snacks, soups/stocks, yeast spread
Core Dairy - beverages
Core Dairy - yoghurt, soft cheese
Core Dairy – cheese
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• Cheese & processed cheese (full fat,
low fat), with >=320mg/100g
calcium
• Analogues (full fat, low fat)
Milks
Flavoured milk
Analogues
Yoghurt
Soft cheese (<320mg/100g calcium)
Analogues
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Each of the coloured HSR Categories is calibrated separately to calculate star points, utilising different profiler score
end-points. We’ve broken down the NPSC ‘foods’ category to avoid miss-classification errors
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Mixed foods containing different proportions of core cereals, fruit, protein, vegetables and non-core foods are
tolerant of misclassification as a group, but classifying them as fats/oils, beverages or core dairy foods should be
avoided
Proposed calculator mods
• Only one category entry column
• Category selection validated by a
drop down list
• A comment box provides category
examples
Summary
• The HSR calculation is a two stage process
1.
2.
Stage 1 Uses three NPSC profiler categories - same as the original
NPSC. Calculates a food profile score.
Stage 2 Uses six calibration categories derived from the HSR
category chosen by end users. Converts the food score to stars.
• Calcium content
• Helps distinguish the core dairy categories from other foods
• Distinguishes cheeses higher in calcium from ‘foods’
• Is not used in any HSR calculations per se, but does have the above
category effects and is therefore important information for the
system to function correctly
• The system is very tolerant of miss-classified ‘mixed foods’
• Can be entered as core cereals, fruit, protein, vegetables or noncore foods and will achieve the same star score
Exclusions
There are certain instances where the HSR system is not to be
applied to certain foods and beverages. These include:
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Alcoholic beverages >1.15% alcohol by volume
• Std 2.7.1 clause 4 would not allow these drinks to be labelled as low alcohol
beverages; Std 1.2.7 prohibits these alcoholic beverages from making a health
claim
•
Alcohol kits (Std 1.2.8 and also in line with above)
•
Kava, defined in Std 2.6.3
•
Special Purpose Foods in Part 2.9 of the Code where there are specific
compositional requirements for target groups
• Infant formula, standardised in 2.9.2
• Formulated Supplementary Foods for toddlers and young children,
standardised in 2.9.3 eg toddler milks
• Formulated Supplementary Sports Foods, standardised in 2.9.4 eg
gym/protein bars
• Foods for Special Medical Purposes, standardised in 2.9.5
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Exclusions (cont)
• Foods where a NIP is not required in the Code
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Filled rolls, filled bagels, sandwiches and similar products as composition varies
from day to day (Std 1.2.8). However, if these foods are made to a specific recipe
or specification they should be included.
• Non-nutritive foods
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Non-nutritive condiments (Std 2.10.1), herbs and spices (Std 1.4.2).
Non-nutritive foods eg teas and coffees (Std 1.1.2), herbal infusions (Std 1.5.3)
• Single ingredient foods not intended to be consumed alone
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E.g. salt, salt substitutes, reduced sodium salt mixtures, sugar, honey, gelatine
(‘single ingredients’ are referred to in Std 1.2.8 but not defined, and are not
required to carry a NIP)
To illustrate, flour can be modified nutritionally and there is potential for HSR
system to aid choice. Other ingredient derivatives of grain (cornflour, bran, gluten,
germ, etc) are not intended to be consumed alone, are not readily altered
compositionally and would not be expected to carry a HSR system label.
Exclusions (cont)
• Foods intended for further processing, packaging or labelling
prior to retail sale; or
• Foods delivered to a vulnerable person by a delivered meal
organisation; or
• Foods provided to a patient in a hospital or other similar
institution, other than food in a package
• Certain ‘fresh value-added products’, such as packaged fruit,
vegetables, meat, poultry and fish.
• A useful rule of thumb is that if the food product carries a NIP,
the use of the HSR system should be considered.
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Serve Sizes
• HSR is based on a standard 100g/ml of product
• Nutrient icons displayed as:
• Per 100g/ml of product.
• Per Pack – when full pack is
designed for consumption in a
single sitting.
• Per Inner Pack / Per [reference
portion] i.e. Bottle – when label is
displayed on outer multi pack,
containing individual pre-packaged
single consumption units.
• Per Serve – only when there is an
agreed industry serve size. i.e.
250ml beverage.
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Optional elements
• One positive nutrient displayed to the right of the standard nutrient
icons.
• Only where full hierarchy is employed.
• Provide nutritional information only.
• Information on this must be contained within the NIP.
• Use of High / Low descriptors
• added to the nutrient icons (not energy) where they comply with the
requirements of the Health Claims Std 1.2.7.
• Use of %DI
• Only used on the energy icon.
• Only used on Per Pack products.
• Must be * and relate to back of pack message about the average daily
adult kJ intake.
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Process to deal with potential anomalies with
the HSR Calculator
• Endorsed by the Forum on Food Regulation at its June 2014
meeting.
• Anomalies occur when a star rating does not:
• enable an appropriate comparison between foods based on the agreed
food components; and/or
• when a star rating does not align the food with the Australian Dietary
Guidelines.
• Anomalies may apply to an individual food product or group of
products, in isolation or in comparison to other products or types of
products.
• Anomaly submissions considered by the HSRAC as interim Code
Administration Committee.
• Submission form and guidance material available at:
www.ahmac.gov.au.
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Where to next?
What level of engagement and
communication is expected going
forward?
How can we best support stakeholders in
adopting the HSR System?
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What other work is currently underway?
• Continued engagement with small and
medium enterprise
• Complaints Handling Process
• Monitoring and Evaluation Plan
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Next Steps?
• Report outcomes of workshop to Advisory
Committee
• Continued support to Industry
• Roll-out of HSR System on packaged
products
• HSR Website
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Contact Us...
Front-of-Pack Labelling Secretariat
1800 099 658 (free call)
Frontofpack@health.gov.au
Australian Health Ministers Advisory Council website –
AHMAC.gov.au
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HSR Calculator
HSR Style Guide
Guide for Industry to the HSR Calculator
Process to assess potential anomalies within the HSR
Calculator