4 minute read
Nutrition labelling systems in question
Australia: Health Star Rating system
Australia’s Health Star Rating (HSR) system is a contentious issue, with industries including our own deeming it not fit for purpose. It purports to provide “a quick, easy, standard way to compare similar packaged foods. The more stars, the healthier the choice”, however the system’s algorithm includes only a specific set of criteria and gives no considerations to positive health attributes of food products like antioxidants, mono-unsaturated fats, etc.
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Refined oils rate higher than EVOO
The system rates oils purely on the single attribute of saturated fat content and as a result, currently ranks refined seed oils such as canola and sunflower above naturally-produced and healthier extra virgin olive oil. The fact that EVOO provides myriad health benefits, and is known globally for its integral role in the life-extending Mediterranean Diet, is given no consideration in the calculation of its HSR rating.
Review underway
In 2019 - despite strong representation from the AOA on the issue and provision of an alternative assessment algorithm - the Five Year Review maintained the status quo, and the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation requested that the Food Regulation Standing Committee (FRSC) reconsider the way edible oils are treated under the system.
That process is being undertaken as part of a review of the Australian Dietary Guidelines, which underpin the HSR, with results anticipated to be released in the second half of 2024.
Europe: Nutriscore
The most widely used of several front-of-pack nutrition labelling systems in Europe, Nutriscore aims to visually indicate which foods within a particular product group are healthier than others. It uses a ‘traffic light’ five-level colour scale combined with the letters A-E, with healthier products gaining a green A and unhealthy products a red E.
Like the HSR, the score (-15 being the best and +40 the worst) is obtained by offsetting ‘unfavourable’ nutrient values against ‘favourable’ ones, including saturated fatty acids. It is also similarly questioned by some food producers for its lack of appropriate nuance.
Algorithm update
The system has been in place since 2018 and in late July a review by the Nutri-Score Scientific Committee saw measures approved to update the Nutri-Score algorithm for food. The committee considered that while “overall, the algorithm performs well”, the updates will "strengthen the effectiveness" of the system.
In particular, the update aims to provide an improved alignment with current dietary guidelines of the member countries.
Olive oil rating improved
One of the major updates is to the ‘fats, nuts and seeds’ category, with nuts transferred from ‘fruit and vegetables’ due to their high fat content. Other changes include the definition of the energy component, several threshold levels and the inclusion of oils extracted from ingredients defined as ‘fruits and vegetables’ (e.g. avocado or olive oil) in the perimeter of that component, which provides positive points for the score calculation.
The result is an improvement in the ‘health rating’ of olive oil, particularly as a comparison with highly-saturated fats:
“Vegetable oils with low levels of saturated fatty acids (rapeseed, walnut, oleic sunflower oil) are classified as B, as is olive oil. Sunflower oil is shifted to C. For the other products in the category, the classification remains unchanged, with coconut oil and butter remaining E.”
Italian ban
It seems, however, that Italians don’t think the update fixes the system. The Italian Competition Authority, AGCM, has banned the use of Nutri-Score in the country without additional warnings, and is forcing large retailers to withdraw the labelling from products sold in Italy. "The Nutri-Score system is misleading in that it does not convey adequate information to consumers, is not supported by a solid and appropriate scientific basis and provides an absolute judgement on the healthiness of a given product without putting it into context with respect to the overall diet of an individual," AGCM said in its statement.
The Authority’s issues also include that use of the labelling system is not mandated by legislation, a similar situation to Australia’s HSR system.
Major retailer Carrefour Italia has already acted on the ban, removing Nutri-Score labelling from a wide range of goods including its substantial own-brand range.
AOA action continuing
AOA CEO Michael Southan said the AOA is keeping abreast of activity around the Australian Dietary Guidelines review, and will ensure that its representation around changes to calculations for edible oils will include information on the updates to Europe’s NutriScore algorithm.
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