Weet-Bix and UP&GO will be the first Sanitarium products to arrive on shelves with front of pack Health Star labelling.
UP&GO, which scored four and a half stars will roll out its new labelling this month, and Weet-Bix, which was awarded five stars, in December, with more products set to roll out until mid-2015.
Endorsed by the State and Federal Governments in June, the Health Star Rating system scores products on a scale of 0.5 to five stars based on nutrient and whole food content, and is aligned with the Australian Dietary Guidelines.
It takes into account the four aspects of food associated with increasing the risk factors for chronic diseases: energy; saturated fat; total sugars; and sodium content. Food products that are low in saturated fat, total sugars, sodium and/or energy will generally have a higher star rating.
Todd Saunders, General Manager – Sanitarium Australia, said Sanitarium was one of the first companies to support the voluntary Health Star Rating labelling system and is proud to be taking a leading role in implementing the important national initiative.
“The Health Star Rating system is an effective way to deliver this and we see the use of a consumer-friendly visual guide on packs as a great way to empower shoppers to make healthy food choices.”
Trish Guy, Australian Practising Dietician and nutritionist at Sanitarium, said the Health Star Rating system makes interpreting the nutritional credentials of a product simpler.
“Nutrition labelling can be difficult to understand and contextualise for many people, so the star system, which is backed by considerable research, provides an easy, reliable reference that consumers can use when selecting products,” she said.
In June, Sanitarium made the commitment to adopt the new Health Star Rating system across its entire product range. Nestle, Woolworths, Coles and several other companies have also either begun using, or have announced that they will adopt the health star rating system.
The rollout of consumer watchdog Choice’s front-of-pack Health Stars Rating Scheme has been surrounded by scandals and resistance from industry groups.
More significantly, federal assistant health minister Fiona Nash's chief of staff was prompted to resign when strong, direct links to food industry lobby groups were revealed – after he had ordered the Health Stars website to be taken down.
In response to the announcement, Fiona Nash congratulated Sanitarium on their commitment.
"The point of the star rating system is to make it easier for people to make a simple, informed choice about the food products they buy. Earlier this year, the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation agreed that the health star rating system should be implemented voluntarily over the next five years with a review of the progress of implementation after two years. This will enable cost effective implementation, provide time for industry to work on food reformulation – to include less saturated fats, sugars or sodium – and for consultation with small and medium sized enterprises.”
The Health Star Rating Scheme was signed off by food and health ministers from federal, state and territory governments in June.