New year, new you? Not so fast. While January brings a flood of fitness resolutions and wellness promises, the reality is that most goals fizzle out before February hits.
Over the summer, we are sitting down with a range of experts from UNE’s School of Science and Technology to unpack how everyone can build New Year’s resolutions that actually stick.
In Part 4 of our Summer of Good Nutrition series, Lecturer in Biomedical Science, Dr Sinead Henderson, explains the health star rating, how it works, and how the nutrition label on your favourite foods can help you stick to your health and fitness goals in 2026.
How does the health star rating system work?
The health star rating system is an easy and fast way to compare the nutritional value of packaged food. It uses a standardised algorithm to rate food from half a star to five stars based on an assessment of the nutritional profile and energy content of the food. Risk nutrients like saturated fat, salt and sugar that contribute to chronic diseases such as obesity, cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes are balanced against positive nutrients like fibre, protein, fruit, vegetable, legume and nut content. The algorithm converts this final score into the star rating displayed on packaging. It's a great initial reference point for consumers, but it does have significant limitations worth understanding.
What are the biggest limitations of the health star rating system?
Most people are aware that the more stars a product has, the healthier it is. What many people don't realise, is that a comparison can only be made if the products are similar. For example, the system can effectively compare the nutritional value of two breakfast cereals, however it can't be used to compare a breakfast cereal to a biscuit. A 2-star breakfast cereal would be unlikely to be nutritionally equivalent to a 2-star biscuit!
Another limitation of the system is that the algorithm rates products per 100g or 100 mL, regardless of typical serving size. This means that if a product is consumed at three times that amount, the actual nutritional intake triples without any reflection in the star rating. A product might look reasonable at 100g but become nutritionally problematic if 300g is consumed in one sitting.
Can a food with a high health star rating still be ultra-processed?
Yes! The algorithm factors in positive nutrients, but it can't distinguish between those that are naturally occurring, and those that have been added into the food after processing. A product can achieve 4 or 5 stars while being heavily processed with additives, emulsifiers, and preservatives that the algorithm does not evaluate. The health star rating only tells us about the nutrient profile overall, not the degree of processing or ingredient quality.
Why is understanding nutrition science more important than relying on ratings?
The more you learn about the science behind nutrition, the more likely you will be to recognise the gaps in a labelling system yourself. This helps you make informed dietary decisions, rather than trusting in a system with known loopholes. Since we know that so many diseases are linked to nutrition, making informed decisions is important. The stars can guide you, but understanding nutrition science empowers your choices.
What should you look at on food packaging instead?
Focus on two key areas: the nutrition information panel and the ingredients list.
- The nutrition information panel: The nutrition information panel lets you compare products using the "per serve" and "per 100g" columns. The 'per 100g' column is more reliable than 'per serve' because serving sizes vary between brands and may not reflect how much people actually eat. A 'serving' of chocolate might be just two squares, making the sugar content look deceptively low, but people might be more likely to eat two or three times this (or the whole block!). The 'per 100g' column reveals details that the star ratings don't capture, like the actual amounts of protein, fibre, different types of fats, sodium, carbohydrates and added sugars. Two products with the same star rating can have very different sugar or protein levels, and it's important to recognise this, especially if you are aiming to follow a particular type of diet or eat more healthily.
- The ingredients list: The nutrition information panel doesn't tell you whether there are additives, preservatives or emulsifiers in the food, or if the food has been extensively processed, so check out the ingredients list for this information. Ingredients appear in order by weight, so if sugar (or an alias like glucose syrup, maltose, or concentrated fruit juice) appears near the top, it's a major component.
Looking at these sections tells you what is really in your food and helps you to choose what truly aligns with your health goals, not just what looks good on the front of the pack.
Want to learn more? Explore nutrition and health science at UNE
If you are interested in learning more about health and nutrition, here are some courses you could explore:
