New Zealand’s Health Star Rating system is “ineffective”, in keeping with a diet and world well being researcher.

It comes because the National Party say they wish to scrap the present system and exchange it with a brand new one.

Currently, meals producers voluntarily embrace the ranking on meals labels which makes use of a scale of 0.5 – 5 stars. The variety of stars is predicated on power, saturated fats, salt, sugar content material, fibre, protein, fruit, vegetable, nut and legume content material of the meals.

Last month, the NZ Herald reported that National MP Dr Shane Reti mentioned the present system is now not “fit for purpose”.

“I think the star rating system needs to be looked at. Australia’s starting to move in other directions, and I think we just need to rethink how we make it easy for [consumers] to make the best choice and the right choice,” Reti mentioned.

Speaking to Breakfast this morning, diet and world well being researcher Boyd Swinburne agreed the system is ineffective, however mentioned changing it would not be straightforward.

“Earlier this year we had 60 plus health and nutrition experts rate the current Government on food policy, including the current food star rating, and no surprises not much has happened in the last three years or the last 12 years.

“When it got here to ranking how we have been going with the Health Star Rating, these consultants would agree with Shane Reti that this can be a third fee system, it is voluntary, it would not considerably change behaviour or shopping for patterns.”

He said there were “significantly better” front of packet labelling systems out there.

“Health Star Rating system is a giant difficult system as a result of we’re tied in with Australia and if we wish to change it, and I positively suppose it does want altering, this can be a large lengthy battle.

“Not only would we have to shift Australia into agreeing to do that, but the food industry would put great pressure on to keep the existing ineffective system. They do not want what’s happening in Latin America where they have warning labels saying this is high in sugar or salt or fat or whatever because they know that that makes an influence on purchasing behaviour.”

Swinburne mentioned Europe has system, and New Zealand has the potential to observe go well with, however have been caught in our methods.

“We’re like a placebo country, we’re doing nothing, other countries are doing way more than we are.”