geoff drewer - sanitarium - rationale for the health star rating system
DESCRIPTION
Dr Geoff Drewer, Senior Scientist – Corporate Regulatory, Food and Environment Science, Sanitarium delivered this presentation at the Food Regulations and Labelling Standards Conference. Informa's annual Food Regulations and Labelling Standards Conference is now in its 15th year and continually provides a platform to discuss the ongoing issues in food policy For more information about the event, please visit the conference website: http://www.informa.com.au/foodregs2013TRANSCRIPT
Health Star Rating System, Rationale
2nd December 2013
Dr Geoff Drewer
Senior Scientist Corporate Regulatory
Introduction
• Public health background
– Lifestyle diseases, myriad of causes
– Existing initiatives, international schemes, government input
– FOPL, one piece of the puzzle
• The FOPL continuum
– From data to interpretation
– Key nutritional drivers
– Scaling the food supply
• FOPL Design information & interpretation
• FOPL politics
• Conclusions
Public Health Background– (life style factors)
Disease
CHD
Diabetes
Stroke
Cancers
Injury
STDs
PCOS
Infertility
COPD
Gallstones
Proximal
Causes
Smoking
Diet
Inactivity
Unsafe sex
Obesity
Sun expos
Alcohol/
Drugs
Pollution
Risk
Factor
Markers
BP
Lipids
-Apos
-Tg
-LDL-C
-HDL-C
High FPG
IGT
CRP
HBA1C
Medial
Causes
Stress
Anxiety
Depression
Social/Peer
pressure
Psych
factors
Occupation
Boredom
Technology
Change
Genetics
Distal
Causes
Industrialism.
‘Modernity’
Economic
Growth
International schemes
• International
approaches
– Multiple Traffic
Light Systems
– Ticks & rating
systems
US
UK
Singapore Nordic
Countries
Au/NZ
etc.
Government input
• Forum on Food
Regulation
– Extended view of
food safety to
include public
health.
– Supports
Interpretive FOPL.
– Design to be
determined via
collaboration &
evidence.
FOPL – one piece of the puzzle
Reduce
Stress
Nutritional
Literacy
Balanced
Energy
Intake
Limit Saturated
& trans Fats
Limit
Alcohol
FOPL No
Smoking
Optimum
Activity/
Exercise
Adequate
Sleep
Ideal Omega
3 to 6
Ratio
Fruits &
Vegetables
The FOPL continuum
• Data FOPL
– NIP
– %DIG
– Modified DIG
The FOPL continuum
• Interpretive FOPL
– Traffic lights
– Multiple traffic lights
– Healthy eating system
– Endorsements
• Thresholds between
colours can be too
coarse.
• Availability &
complexity vs.
accessibility
Nutritional Drivers-.
• Health Star Rating
– Data &
Interpretation
• NPSC Based
– Risk associated
nutrients
– Health associated
nutrients
– Health associated
foods
Spanning & Scaling the food supply–
• NPSC was only designed to determine HC eligibility!
• NPSC extensions, A points (Category 1 & 2 foods)
– Energy did not need extension
– Sugars could be linearly extended
Spanning & Scaling the food supply–
• NPSC extensions, C points (Category 1 & 2 foods)
• FVNL points interpolated between existing NPSC point
allocations
Spanning & Scaling the food supply–
• Star Rating principles
– Scale based on 1000’s of foods supplied by industry
along with foods on the FSANZ database.
– Scale considers key groups in the AGHE along with
what NPSC category the food belongs to.
• Most foods compared on one food scale.
• Most beverages compared on one beverage scale.
• Core dairy compared on appropriate category scales.
• Fats and oils compared on fat & oil scale.
– Star rating of core foods recommended for “daily
intake” in AGHE typically 3 stars or above.
FOPL Design – interpretation & data.
• ‘Interpretive’ elements
– Slider & value.
– Star bar 0.5 to 5 stars.
– Optional ‘high’ or ‘low’
descriptors based on
content claims allowed
in standard 1.2.7.
• Data elements
– Values for; saturated
fat, sodium, sugars.
– Option of one positive
nutrient e.g. fibre.
– Energy icon.
– Generally on per 100g
basis
FOPL Design – politics.
• Health star rating will always be on per 100g (ml) basis.
• Values will need to be ‘interpreted’ by the consumer as well.
• International FOPL tends to use %DI and is part of ANZFSC
• Quantitative consumer research should guide the information elements.
Conclusions
• The Health Star Rating system has been developed to provide
interpretive context to nutritional information.
• The Health Star Rating system is driven by commonly available
ingredient and nutritional information.
• The Health Star Rating system put foods on a scale, rather than
trying to box foods into ‘good’ & ‘bad’ categories
• The Health Star Rating system is currently being tested &
critiqued. Therefore the final design should be able to reflect this
feedback
• Consumer education will be a key requirement regardless of the
final design.