Diabetes Matters - online subscriptions are no longer available Summer 2015 | Page 27

How it Works First, the food product is grouped into one of five categories: food, beverages, oils, spreads or dairy. Points are then awarded for ingredients with good nutritional value such as fibre, fruit, vegetables, nuts or legumes. Points are docked for ingredients that have low nutritional value and could contribute to chronic illnesses, such as sodium, saturated fat and total sugars. The total energy (kilojoules/calories) per 100g is also taken into account. Finally, the score is converted into a star rating, ranging from ½ a star to five stars. Food manufacturers calculate this score by using the ‘Health Star Rating Calculator’ developed by the Australian Government. Key Points to Remember It’s a voluntary system Fresh vs packaged Discover the full story Products are not required to have a Health Star Rating; it is purely a voluntary system. So be careful not to overlook products that do not have a star rating, as they could be the healthier option! For the full story, always read the nutritional label. If the labels confuse you, Diabetes WA’s ShopSmart program can help you become a whizz at decoding food labels. Diabetes WA Dietitian and Diabetes Educator, Rebecca Flavel, says unfortunately the Health Star Rating System is only used for packaged foods, and does not take fresh foods into account. Make sure to keep in mind that the Health Star Rating System is just a quick snapshot of an item’s nutritional content. It can be very helpful when making comparisons at a glance, but it does not always show the full story. “While looking for products with a high Health Star Rating is a good start when you are at the shops, don’t forget about fresh foods like eggs, fruit, vegetables and lean meats when shopping,” suggests Rebecca. “The Health Star Rating can be a good tool for people with diabetes who are looking for a healthier choice,” said Rebecca. Don’t compare between categories It is important to remember that this system is designed to help people compare products of the same category (food, beverages, oils, spreads and dairy). The calculating process means that the star ratings are slightly different between each category. For example, the system will help you choose between two different breakfast cereals, but not between fruit juice and margarine spread. Sometimes vs everyday The Health Star Rating System made headlines in July this year when an article published on ‘The Conversation’ website pointed out that a Greek-style yogurt had been awarded less stars than a pack of liquorice. While the two products were in different categories, it did highlight the fact that the rating system did not take into account that liquorice was a ‘sometimes’ discretionary food and a dairy product, like yoghurt, was a core ‘everyday’ food. “My advice would be to use the star rating as a tool for choosing between core, nutritious foods in the same category; however, for the full nutritional story, learning to decode nutritional labels is always a good skill.” Learn how to analyse nutritional labels with the Diabetes WA shopping tour program, ShopSmart. To find a session near you, call 1300 136 588 or email [email protected] 27