Shaping the future of nutrition labelling in Australia and New Zealand
Food labels play a critical role in helping us make healthier choices, but nutrition information can be difficult to understand and use in practice. Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) engaged Heartward Strategic to explore how people use and interpret the Nutrition Information Panel (NIP) and Health Star Rating (HSR) system, helping inform major policy decisions about the future of nutrition labelling across Australia and New Zealand.
“Research evidence from across Australia and New Zealand to inform decisions about the Nutrition Information Panel and Health Star Rating system.”
Heartward delivered a qualitative research program involving focus groups with people across Australia and New Zealand, with a focus on people with different education backgrounds, high users of nutrition labelling, and Māori and Pacific peoples/Pasifika communities. The project explored how existing nutrition labelling is used and understood, tested alternative Health Star Rating formats, and identified the barriers and enablers to healthier food choices.
The findings highlighted the challenges people face in interpreting nutrition information in real-world shopping environments, including confusion around serving sizes, scientific or technical terms and nutritional calculations. Detailed evidence was uncovered about how the Nutrition Information Panel and Health Star Rating system work together in practice and opportunities for increasing consumer use and understanding were identified.
The research formed part of FSANZ's review of nutrition labelling and preparatory work to support consideration of mandatory Health Star Ratings across eligible packaged foods. Findings contributed to the evidence base informing future food labelling policy, with the goal of helping consumers make healthier choices and improving public health outcomes across Australia and New Zealand. The findings are published as supporting evidence towards the bottom of this page.