A voluntary front-of-pack labelling system that rates the overall nutritional profile of packaged foods from half a star to five stars.
No. It is a voluntary front-of-pack system, so manufacturers choose whether to display it, and it sits alongside rather than inside the mandatory Food Standards Code requirements.
Foods are rated from half a star up to five stars in half-star increments, with more stars indicating a better overall nutritional profile.
An official calculator balances risk nutrients such as energy, saturated fat, sugars and sodium against beneficial components such as fruit and vegetable content, fibre and protein.
The system is designed to compare similar products within the same category, so it is most reliable for choosing between comparable foods rather than across very different types.
No. The rating is a quick guide best used together with the nutrition information panel and ingredient list, not as a replacement for reading the label.