How healthy star ratings work – Whiteboard Friday

Gareth MorganHealth

This week we’ve seen a debate open up on the Government’s new healthy star ratings. Some argue that they should be ditched because they are endorsing packaged foods that are high in sugar and unhealthy. Others have defended the system as ‘not perfect but the best we’ve got‘. In this Whiteboard Friday we use milk as an example of how the system works in practice and how changes in nutritional content can affect star ratings.
The model can help consumers make better choices between packaged products, but it also can be gamed by manufacturers. Ultimately people need to understand what the star rating system means, and to know that real food – the stuff that doesn’t come in packages – is usually a healthier choice.

 

 

 

How healthy star ratings work – Whiteboard Friday was last modified: September 5th, 2016 by Gareth Morgan
About the Author

Gareth Morgan

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Gareth Morgan is a New Zealand economist and commentator on public policy who in previous lives has been in business as an economic consultant, funds manager, and professional company director. He is also a motorcycle adventurer and philanthropist. Gareth and his wife Joanne have a charitable foundation, the Morgan Foundation, which has three main stands of philanthropic endeavour – public interest research, conservation and social investment.