The Australian Government announced on February 11 2026 this week it will 'seek to raise a proposal at next week’s Food Ministers Meeting to mandate Health Star Ratings on food products across Australia'.
However, although Health Groups have welcomed the news, they and scientists have pointed out the Health Star Rating system needs updating and modifying to ensure it is not being manipulated by ultra-processed food manufacturers to frame foods that are unhealthy as healthy. Some are stating, as well, ultra-processed food manufacturers should not be dictating policy to governments.
In a November 2025 Editorial in Lancet is is stated:
''The ultra-processed foods (UPF) industry generates enormous revenues that support continued growth and fund corporate political activities to counter attempts at UPF regulation. A handful of manufacturers dominate the market, including Nestlé, PepsiCo, Unilever, and Coca-Cola. A comprehensive, government-led approach is needed to reverse the rise in UPF consumption. Priority actions include adding ultra-processed markers, such as colours, flavours, and non-sugar sweeteners, to nutrient profiling models used to identify unhealthy foods; mandatory front-of-pack warning labels; bans on marketing aimed at children; restrictions on these types of foods in public institutions; and higher taxes on UPFs. The market dominance and political power of the UPF industry must also be addressed by stronger competition policy, replacing self-regulation with mandatory regulation, and combating corporate interference.''
The Editorial accompanies a 3-paper Series which reviews the evidence about the increase in ultra-processed foods in diets globally and highlights the association with many non-communicable diseases.
The summary states:
'This rise in ultra-processed foods is driven by powerful global corporations who employ sophisticated political tactics to protect and maximise profits. Education and relying on behaviour change by individuals is insufficient. Deteriorating diets are an urgent public health threat that requires coordinated policies and advocacy to regulate and reduce ultra-processed foods and improve access to fresh and minimally processed foods.'
In a January 2026 another, this time a review paper, 'Why is there no regulation despite evidence that Ultra-Processed Foods are hazardous to long-term health?', states:
'We review the evidence and explore the reasons why effective regulation is lacking with increasing examples of inappropriate food industry influence on political decisions in several countries. The current focus on reducing consumption of high fat, sugar and salt has distracted attention from the adverse effects of alternative non-nutritional additives. We propose changes to food labelling and call for public health interventions to combat and minimise UPF consumption. These interventions are especially vital for socioeconomically disadvantaged populations and children who increasingly consume UPFs as attractive and cheaper alternatives to fresh or minimally processed products. Urgent action is needed to promote healthier dietary practices worldwide.'
Mackellar MP Dr. Sophie Scamps has been calling for changes since her first term, even tabling the Healthy Kids Advertising Bill 2023, in an effort to stop unhealthy food makers targeting young children with what is deemed junk food.
However, even those products now being marketed as 4-5 star on the Australian Health Star Ratings, have been found to contain additives and ultra-processed products. These ratings are calculated by weighing up positives, like protein and fibre, against the negatives like sugars, saturated fat and sodium.
But companies can manipulate this by adding proteins or artificial sweeteners to artificially inflate their score.
Dr Alexandra Jones, a UNSW associate professor and food governance program lead at the George Institute for Global Health in Sydney, said Nutri-Grain was a good example of this — it has a four-star rating because the added protein offsets the salt, sugar and fat in the cereal.
Dr. Jones told the ABC this week that institute had published research that found "many of the current loopholes in the Health Star Rating algorithm could be closed by including markers of ultra-processing in how products are scored".
"At the moment, progress on updating the Health Star Ratings in this way has been held back by the lack of formal recognition of ultra-processing in broader Australian food policy," she said.
An expert panel at the National Health and Medical Research Council is reviewing the latest evidence on the potential health impacts of ultra-processed foods as a top priority, ahead of the release of the new Australian Dietary Guidelines later this year, so that may be changed.
In 2020, Food Ministers agreed to consider mandatory labelling should the existing voluntary scheme fail to reach 70 per cent of products by 2025. Recent data released by Food Standards Australia New Zealand shows just 37 per cent of products display a Health Star Rating.
'We are committed to ensuring Australians have the information they need to make healthy choices and this is a sensible next step in the evolution of Health Star Ratings.' the government said in a press release this week
'Since 2014, Health Star Ratings have provided consumers with a quick and simple way to compare the nutritional value of similar types of products they find on supermarket shelves. Ensuring Health Star Ratings appear on all products will enhance consumer choice and establish a level playing field for all food producers.
Recognising that Health Star Ratings are intended only as a basic guide, we will also continue to monitor the effectiveness of the methodology used to determine Health Star Ratings and will make updates as required. A final decision on mandating Health Star Ratings will be made after the Food Ministers Meeting receive advice about implementation options.' the government said
Leading health organisations stated this week they have written to Australia's food ministers, urging them to make Health Star Ratings mandatory on all packaged foods.
The Australian Medical Association, VicHealth and The George Institute for Global Health are among a broad coalition of signatories who say this week’s Food Ministers’ Meeting is a key opportunity to strengthen Australia’s food labelling system and improve community health.
Australian Medical Association President Dr Danielle McMullen said mandatory Health Star Ratings would be a major win for Australians’ health.
“Clear, front-of-pack labelling like Health Star Ratings allows busy Australians to see how healthy a product is at a glance,” Dr McMullen said.
“With diet-related diseases placing growing pressure on our health system, mandating Health Star Ratings is a simple, evidence-based step that will support better nutrition across the community.”
VicHealth CEO Professor Anna Peeters AM said mandatory Health Star Ratings are an essential part of a healthier and fairer food system.
“Right now, it’s almost impossible for many families to see how healthy packaged foods really are. Mandatory Health Star Ratings will provide simple, trustworthy information, so people aren’t left guessing about the healthiness of what’s in their trolley,” Professor Peeters said.
“By making Health Star Ratings mandatory, we can shift our food supply in a healthier direction, improve people’s nutrition and help reduce the burden of diet-related chronic diseases over time.”
Associate Professor Alexandra Jones, Program Lead Food Governance at The George Institute for Global Health, said the current voluntary scheme has reached its limits.
“We’ve seen slow and selective adoption of Health Star Ratings by food manufacturers, with companies often using the ratings on higher-scoring products while leaving low-scoring products unlabelled,” Associate Professor Jones said.
“Mandatory labelling would close that loophole and ensure Australians get the same easy-to understand information on every product, not just the ones companies choose to highlight.”
Research shows Australians strongly back making the scheme mandatory, with 82 per cent supporting Health Star Ratings on all packaged foods, and 66 per cent agreeing that mandating the ratings would make them more useful.
Public health organisations are calling on Food Ministers to make Health Star Ratings mandatory on all eligible packaged foods without further delay and to set a timeline for implementation so Australians can start seeing the health benefits as soon as possible.
However, the Food for Health Alliance continues to point out that many products labelled as healthy actually contain high amounts of additives, sugar and salt - including food aimed at the baby food market.
In December 2025 a new Australian study revealed that the majority of commercial snack foods for babies and toddlers are ultra-processed, overly sweet, and fail to meet nutrition standards.
The study found that these snack foods make up almost one third (31%) of all packaged baby and toddler foods in the supermarket. 63% of these foods met the classification of ‘ultra-processed’ – often made up of artificial additives and lacking whole foods.
Concerningly, less than 20% of them met all international recommendations for nutrition, and the vast majority (77%) were sweet rather than savoury, reinforcing young children’s preference for sugary tastes, and setting them up to prefer sugary foods in the future.
A further 71% had a dissolvable texture, making foods easy to overconsume and preventing children from building essential motor skills like chewing.
One of the authors of the study, Public Health Dietitian Alison McAleese says that nutrition during the early years is essential for children’s ongoing health.
“The first 1000 days of a child’s life is crucial to their development and long-term health. During this time their brains and bodies are growing faster than any other time in their lives. What young children need are nutritious foods like fruits, vegetables and grains, not ultra-processed snacks.”
McAleese added that the high proportion of sweet snack foods is a particularly concerning finding.
“Not only does consumption of these sweet snacks encourage children’s preference for sugary foods, but we know from previous research that already over half of Australian 2–3-year-olds are exceeding the recommended intake of free sugars.”
Food for Health Alliance Executive Manager, Jane Martin says that this new research confirms that more needs to be done to regulate the booming baby and toddler snack food industry.
“These findings paint a picture of a growing industry-driven snack culture that prioritises sugar, excess consumption and convenience over nutrition, and sets our children up to develop unhealthy eating habits from their first bite.''
“Australia’s baby and toddler snack food market is a multi-million-dollar industry, government intervention is needed to ensure profits don’t come at the expense of children’s health.”
The commercial infant and toddler industry in Australia generated over AUD $750 million in revenue in 2024, with the snack food segment accounting for $83.57 million.
There are currently only limited regulations about the composition and labelling of foods for babies in Australia, and none specifically for toddler foods, however earlier in 2025 Food Ministers gave the standard setter, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), the green light to progress regulations in this area.
“We welcome recent action from governments to progress regulations around baby and toddler foods. It is essential that FSANZ now prioritises strict rules to stop the flood of ultra-processed snacks that undermine healthy eating in early childhood” Ms Martin added.
Food for Health Alliance are calling for comprehensive regulations to the composition and marketing of baby and toddler foods, including:
- No snacks on the market for babies. These are not recommended under infant feeding guidelines.
- Snacks for toddlers should align with global health recommendations and not be marketed as part of everyday diets.
The call has also been made for industry lobbyists to not be forming policy in this area - a call rejected in a report on the ABC's 7.30 this week.by the Australian Food & Grocery Council (AFGC), who states it is 'the peak industry association for the food, beverage and grocery supply industry'.
A released AFGC statement following appearance on ABC 7.30 on 11 February 2026, reads:
'The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) supports informed discussion about nutrition and public health and believes these conversations must be grounded in clear, evidence-based information.
Australia already has one of the world’s most rigorous food regulation systems, with food safety, labelling and manufacturing standards that are among the strongest globally and continuously updated to reflect emerging evidence.
Director of Nutrition and Regulation, Dr Duncan Craig, stated in the release:
“Australians deserve clear, evidence-based information about the food they eat, and it’s important that discussions about health are grounded in science.”
“There is no global consensus on the definition of ultra-processed foods by food scientists,” Dr Craig said.
Dr Craig added that many foods that fall under the classification of ‘ultra-processed’ are safe, nutritious and affordable products that Australian families rely on. He emphasised that classifying foods purely by how they are processed does not accurately reflect their nutritional value. The level of processing alone is not a meaningful indicator of whether a food is healthy; what matters is its nutritional profile and how it contributes to a balanced dietary pattern.
Food processing plays an essential role in keeping food safe, practical and available for modern life. Without processing, everyday staples like bread would stale quickly, families would need to shop far more often, and emergency responses would lack the shelf-stable foods communities rely on.
Through food and beverage product development and reformulation, portion control measures, food labelling and collaborations with government, our members continuously meet consumer needs while contributing to public health and improving the food supply.
The Australian Food and Grocery Council remains committed to working with government, researchers and public health experts to improve dietary outcomes, support innovation and ensure that regulation remains evidence based.'' the statement says
However, the growing body of evidence based studies is a consensus clearly stating that ultra-processed foods are killing us.
If you want to dig deeper than a star rating, Dr Jones said you could:
- Look for products that have five ingredients or less, as anything more than that is likely to be ultra-processed.
- Keep an eye out for ingredients your grandmother would not recognise like numbers used to identify additives such as colourings or preservatives.
- If you see a health star rating that's different to what you may have expected, take a look at the nutritional information on the back and check the levels of sodium and sugar.
- If something does not have a rating on it, you can check the George Institute's FoodSwitch tool (app) to find out how many stars it is worth.
Mackellar MP Persists in Calling for Changes
Mackellar MP Dr. Sophie Scamps is persisting in calling for Food Industry changes, stating in the Australian parliament on Thursday February 12 2026:
''Currently, a quarter of Australian children are above the healthy weight range, placing them on an early trajectory towards chronic disease. Among adults, that figure rises to two-thirds. This is clearly not an individual problem; it is a societal challenge that begins in childhood and compounds over time. Obesity remains a leading risk factor for type 2 diabetes, stroke, kidney disease, cardiovascular disease and, of course, several cancers. In the current context—with Australia broadly facing a shortage of health professionals, including GP specialists and all allied health; with hospitals around the country facing significant problems with bed block; and considering that the new health reform agreement required an injection of an extra $25 billion just to get it across the line—it is abundantly clear that we are well over time to start focusing on prevention.
The National Obesity Strategy estimates that obesity already costs our health system $12 billion every year—a figure that is projected to balloon to $88 billion by 2032, unless we act. There is overwhelming evidence of a direct link between children's exposure to junk food advertising and rates of childhood obesity. On average, studies suggest children are seeing up to 168 junk food ads every single week. This relentless marketing is not accidental; it is a sophisticated, research driven strategy designed to create brand loyalty, drive consumption and normalise unhealthy eating habits from a young age so that they become entrenched for an entire lifetime. In 2022 alone, the Australian food sector spent $386 million on marketing for unhealthy food and drinks, with the majority of products being high in fat, sugar and salt. These are precisely the products that are contributing to our obesity crisis.
Importantly, the National Obesity Strategy, the National Preventive Health Strategy and the National Diabetes Strategy all identify restricting unhealthy food marketing to children as a priority reform. That's why, in 2023, I introduced the healthy kids advertising bill to remove junk food ads from TV and radio between 6 am and 9.30 pm and to place an outright ban on paid junk food marketing on social media and other online environments. This policy is strongly backed by the Australian Medical Association, Dietitians Australia, Diabetes Australia, the Cancer Council, Food for Health Alliance, the Public Health Association of Australia and key medical colleges including the Royal Australian colleges of physicians and of GPS.
Parents regularly raise their concerns with me about predatory junk food marketing directed at their children. And research from the Australia Institute shows two-thirds of Australians support regulating unhealthy food marketing. It seems just plain wrong that corporations have been given free rein to target our kids with the advertising of junk food that is making them sick. Corporations are getting rich by making our children sick.
In 2024, the government commissioned a feasibility study led by the University of Wollongong to examine policy options to restrict unhealthy food marketing to children. My understanding is that the study's findings were delivered to the Department of Health and Aged Care four months ago. I urge the government to release this study so we can get on with the next steps in protecting our children's health. The consultation paper canvassed key options around junk food advertising, including restricting unhealthy food advertising on broadcast media between 5.30 am and 11 pm, including on TV, in radio, in cinema, on podcasts and on streaming services. It also raised the idea of restricting all online marketing for unhealthy food products and banning outdoor media, including government owned assets, within 750 metres of schools and along major transport corridors.
The South Australian government has already implemented a mandatory ban on unhealthy food and drink advertising across all government owned transit assets, including buses, trains and trams. Globally, more than 40 countries have acted to regulate junk food advertising. Australia is lagging behind while unhealthy food marketing continues to target our children. Let's get busy.''
Two other insights from Australian academics run below.
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