Abstract
ObjectiveThe Health Star Rating (HSR) is a voluntary front‐of‐pack nutrition labelling system that rates products from ½ to 5 stars (five being healthiest). The Chilean Warning Label system displays warnings on foods high in sugar, saturated fat, sodium, or energy. We aimed to evaluate alignment between the systems. MethodsNew Zealand packaged products (n=13,868) were classified according to the two systems. Alignment was assessed by cross‐checking the number of products meeting the criteria for warnings against star ratings. Products with no warnings but an HSR <2, or with >1 warning but an HSR of ≥3.5 were considered outliers. ResultsTwo‐thirds of products met the criteria for at least one warning. There was a significant positive relationship between the number of warnings and mean HSR: 0 warnings = HSR 3.77±.0166 (p<0.001), 1 warning = HSR 2.70±.0206 (p<0.001) and >1 warning = HSR 2.00±.0160 (p<0.001). The systems were non‐aligned for 1,117 products (8%). ConclusionHSR and the Chilean Warning Label systems are broadly aligned. Non‐alignment is due to the Chilean system restricting warnings to foods containing added ingredients and HSR awarding points for positive components. Implications for public healthThese results could be helpful in informing improvements to the HSR system.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
More From: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.