It's predicted that one in five products will have their rating changed as the deadline for submissions on Australia's Health Star system looms.
Under proposed changes to the federal government's Health Star Rating system for front of product packs that range from a half a star to five stars, some products could go up or down by as much as 2.5 stars, according to media reports.
The voluntary labelling scheme was introduced in 2014, but there has been ongoing controversy over the nutrient profiling especially in regards to food categories and emphasis on protein and sugar contents.
In September 2016, the Health Star Rating Advisory Committee (HSRAC) announced plans for a five-year review and established a Technical Advisory Group to “analyse the performance of the HSR Calculator and respond to technical issues and related matters referred to it by the HSRAC”.
The Technical Advisory Group appointed Matthews Pegg Consulting as an independent reviewer to conduct a five-year review at a cost of $400,000.
Due to early stakeholder feedback asking for additional time to make submissions, the consultation time frame has been extended to midnight Friday 7 December 2018.
After the deadline for submissions, the review will publish a draft report for public comment in early 2019, to be presented in a final report to the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation later in the year.
According to Fairfax Media, preferred changes to the labelling scheme include being tougher on sugar, placing less emphasis on protein, better distinguishing between yoghurts and dairy desserts such as custard, and recategorising ice confections and jellies from foods to drinks.