Mixed
The packaged food supply in New Zealand supermarkets is dominated by a small number of companies and is predominantly unhealthy, with 59% of products classified as having a Health Star Rating (HSR) below 3.5, 53% as discretionary, and 69% as ultra-processed.
The current supermarket environment in NZ is heavily skewed towards unhealthy, ultra-processed foods controlled by a few large companies. Individual choice is limited by this market structure. Systemic policy changes, such as mandatory reformulation targets and front-of-pack labeling, are required to improve the healthiness of available products.
Fifty-nine percent of products were classified as unhealthy (HSR <3.5/5 stars), 53% as discretionary, and 69% as ultra-processed.
Why this rating
Large-scale observational study (n=13,506 products) with robust data sources (Nutritrack, Euromonitor).
Source
Which companies dominate the packaged food supply of New Zealand and how healthy are their products?
Sally Mackay et al. · PLoS ONE · 2021
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0245225
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