Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has extended the deadline for submissions on its assessment of Health Star Rating (HSR) labelling. Interested parties now have until 5 July, with the organisation saying no further extensions will be granted.
FSANZ is consulting on whether packaged food manufacturers should be required by law to display a HSR, after voluntary uptake targets were not met.
FSANZ has opened submissions on Proposal P1067, which examines whether the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code should be amended to mandate front-of-pack Health Star Rating (HSR) labelling on packaged foods sold in Australia and New Zealand. Submissions close on 21 June 2026.
The proposal follows a February 2026 request from the Food Ministers’ Meeting, which directed FSANZ to assess mandatory HSR requirements after the system’s voluntary uptake targets were not achieved.
The HSR system, which assigns packaged foods a star rating based on their overall nutritional profile, has operated on a voluntary basis since its introduction, with industry participation falling short of government benchmarks.
For food and beverage manufacturers, the proposal represents a significant potential shift in packaging obligations. If FSANZ progresses to draft regulatory measures, businesses across Australia and New Zealand would need to calculate, display and maintain HSR compliance across their packaged product ranges, with implications for labelling design, product reformulation decisions and packaging changeover costs.
