Consumer advocacy organisation Choice says several products that are being marketing as healthy options perform poorly in the health star rating system.
It has pointed to products marketed by McCain, Weight Watchers, Naturally Good and Mother Earth which charge a premium for health-related credentials.
Choice says it looked at 117 products from frozen meals to muesli bars and found health-related marketing messages on pack like ‘healthy choice’, ‘natural’ and ‘made with wholegrains’ weren't always reflected the products’ health star performance.
It analysed the nutritional profile of a range of products being marketing as healthy and found they often received the same health star rating as a regular product but came with a hefty price premium.
“When you look at two McCain frozen pasta meals - one promoted with ‘healthy choice’ branding, images of herbs and claims of wholegrains and chia seeds, and the other with regular company branding - consumers would be forgiven for thinking the first one is a healthier choice,” Tom Godfrey, Choice spokesperson said.
“Surprisingly, both products receive 3.5 health stars, with the ‘healthy choice’ meal containing more sugars and sodium per 100g and a price premium of 23 per cent per 100g.”
Choice also found that:
- Weight Watchers sweet potato and pumpkin risotto and Woolworths Select chicken and mushroom risotto both scored 3.5 stars, but the Weight Watchers meal comes with an 87 per cent price mark-up per 100g.
- Claims on Naturally Good carob buckwheat crispbread include ‘gluten free’, ‘no added cane sugar’, ‘no preservatives, artificial flavours or colours’ and ‘GMO free’, but it only receives a rating of 0.5 stars.
- On-pack claims of Mother Earth baked oaty slices - golden oats - say ‘source of fibre’, ‘wholegrain cereals’ and ‘no artificial colours or flavours’, but the product only scores 1.5 stars.
- Despite the product name Sun Health and a ‘gluten free’ claim, their macadamia and honey bars only receive 1 star.
- Tuckers Natural gourmet rosemary and rock salt crackers use several claims including ‘naturally better for you!’, ‘yeast free’, ‘100% natural’ and ‘no artificial preservatives, colours or flavours’ yet they only score 1.5 stars.
