Research
Mixed
Products that voluntarily display the Health Star Rating (HSR) label on the front of pack have significantly higher health scores (mean 3.2) compared to those that do not display the label (mean 2.5).
Voluntary labeling is not enough; companies that display the Health Star Rating tend to have healthier products. Mandating this label for all products would help consumers easily identify healthier options and encourage manufacturers to reformulate.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Products displaying the HSR on the package had a higher mean HSR ±SD than if the HSR was not displayed (3.2±1.3 versus 2.5±1.4, p = 0.000).
Why this rating
Statistically significant difference (p=0.000) in a large dataset.
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
cross_sectional · n=13506Cited 13×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- 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.Good
- Core food groups such as bread, breakfast cereals, cheese, canned baked beans, and yoghurt have significant potential for reformulation to meet Heart Foundation targets, yet many dominant companies fail to meet these sodium and sugar targets.Good
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