HEALTH STAR RATING FAQ
WHAT IS THE HEALTH STAR RATING ON PACKAGED FOODS?
The Health Star Rating is a voluntary front-of-pack labelling system that rates the nutritional value of packaged foods. It was developed to provide a quick, easy way to compare similar foods.
HOW DOES THE HEALTH STAR RATING SYSTEM WORK?
Packaged products are ranked on a scale of 0.5 to 5 stars. The more stars, the healthier the choice. You can use this rating to quickly compare similar products, such as one type of sliced bread with another type of sliced bread. The Health Star Rating is not intended to compare different types of foods. So, for example, it’s not meant to compare yoghurt with tomato sauce.
HOW ARE THE HEALTH STAR RATING SCORES CALCULATED?
The stars are awarded based on the following components:
- Energy (kilojoules)
- Risk nutrients – saturated fat, sodium and sugar
- Positive nutrients – dietary fibre, protein and the proportion of fruit, vegetable, nut and legume content.
SHOULD ALL BREAD AND OTHER PRODUCTS HAVE A HEALTH STAR RATING ON THEIR LABEL?
It’s completely up to the manufacturer to voluntarily put the Health Star Rating on their products.
DOES TIP TOP® SUPPORT THE HEALTH STAR RATING SYSTEM?
Absolutely! Bread is found in 96% of homes, but people are confused about its nutritional benefits. The Health Star Rating is one way to make sure that the nutrition information for our products is easy to understand.
I THOUGHT BREAD WAS BAD FOR YOU, WHY IS THE HEALTH STAR RATING SO GOOD?
Bread has the potential to positively impact the nutrient intakes and health of consumers. Regular bread contains complex carbohydrates, plant proteins and dietary fibre, and is low in saturated fat with little to no added sugar. This results in a positive score with the Health Star Rating calculation, further supporting the need to consume grains as part of your everyday diet.
WHEN WILL I START SEEING HEALTH STAR RATINGS ON TIP TOP® PRODUCTS?
Tip Top® is committed to the Health Star Rating system and is featuring the star system on packaging across all its products from May 2017. It takes a little time to change packaging but all products will be completed as soon as possible.