Minister welcomes Health Star Ratings on drinks

Food Safety Minister Jo Goodhew welcomes the decision by New Zealand Beverage Council (NZBC) to adopt the Health Star Ratings (HSR) on nearly all non-alcoholic beverages.

The NZBC, which produces 95 per cent of all juice and non-alcoholic beverages in New Zealand, has unanimously agreed to phase in the rating system.

“The HSR is a great way to help consumers make healthier choices quickly and easily when comparing similar packaged foods by taking the guesswork out of reading food and beverage labels,” says Mrs Goodhew.

“The system uses a star rating scale of ½ to 5 stars to measure the overall nutritional content and healthiness of packaged foods.

“Foods that are lower in saturated fat, sugar or sodium (salt), and/or higher in fibre, protein, fruits, vegetables, nuts or legumes will have more stars.”

There has been a strong uptake since the voluntary labelling system was introduced in 2014.

Between the two main retailers, Foodstuffs and Progressives, over 500 of their homebrand products will be carrying the HSR by the end of 2015.

“HSR provides businesses with more opportunity to differentiate and promote their healthier products to consumers,” says Mrs Goodhew.

For further information about the HSR can be found on the Food Smart website.