Customer claims Woolworths 'lied' to him about health ratings, considers boycotting the retailer

In recent years, there has been an increased focus on healthy eating and living. This has led to many retailers providing health star ratings for the food and drink products they sell.

Health star ratings are a voluntary system that rates the nutritional content of packaged food and drinks. The ratings are based on an algorithm that takes into account energy, saturated fat, sodium, sugar, and protein content.

The system was developed by the Australian government in conjunction with the food industry and is now used in many countries around the world.

The aim of health star ratings is to help consumers make informed choices about the food they eat. However, there has been some criticism of the system, with some claiming that it is confusing and that it does not always accurately reflect the ‘healthiness’ of a product.



Such has been the case for one Woolworths customer who discovered two distinct health star ratings on the same product, prompting him to seek an explanation from the retailer.

After noticing the 5-star health rating, Aarron Ralston decided that the supermarket chain's house-brand tropical juice was a decent choice for his daughter and made several purchases of it on Saturday from the Waverley Gardens store in Victoria.

'We always buy going off the ratings so to give our daughters the most healthy food and drink,' he explained.

But while he was unpacking his groceries, the 38-year-old was perplexed to see that one of the boxes had an entirely different rating.

Aaron added: 'We were and still are shocked to find the 2.5-star - that's a huge drop and we wouldn't buy that for our family.'

UbFAB-QWZMA-OV_l-yHI5p-O0qpcBHgAQ7P4rp5uzncLGZl4C-FZd-h102ti1nNJJBlLWHvioZVRLErSWE9P9x-PipOqm-x1oadJs7D10C6pbKjnrvBRMXcntQzRPIHju3r9AqVISFN_PChyRw0sbQ

A shopper accused Woolworths of allegedly mislabeling the health star rating of its own brand of fruit juice. Credit: Facebook.

Frustrated, the Springvale resident took to Facebook and lodged a formal complaint with Woolworths.

'So which is correct? 2.5 stars or 5 stars? We bought a few packs of these assuming [they are] good for our daughter being 5-star but when checked 1 pack says 2.5 others say 5,' he wrote.



A Woolworths spokesperson claimed that the higher-rated carton was from an older batch and that the company's home-brand tropical juice received a new lower rating last year as a result of changes to the way ratings are determined.

'We display the Health Star Rating on a wide range of Woolworths branded products to help customers make informed choices,' the representative said.

'Following a review last year, the Federal Government has changed the way Health Star Ratings are calculated for certain products, including fruit juice.'

'The change includes a greater focus on sugar, including natural sugars, and has resulted in lower ratings for many fruit juices.'

'We've recently updated our own brand juice labels to reflect the new ratings, however, there may still be products available in the old packaging as we sell through it.'

VXYs1w5uMoFNMRUilZNAHK46Dv5tkqP3MXQmIc28LyvdqbKPIof6y3ymb4g1noF9umLIT3IxtgLddGx_4ATDc9Go82gRpdwdhVq4uq-XZOPm2G5QxW0iPyIG-UO67NSkXs0S45tuVLj14jJfPgxfuQ

The aim of health star ratings is to help consumers make informed choices about the food they eat. Credit: https://healthstarrating.gov.au.

In light of recent developments, Mr Ralston claimed that he and his wife have now lost faith in the health rating system and that they are considering boycotting the retailer.

The customer raised: 'How can they now change it to be unhealthy after showing it to be a good choice?'

'Both my wife and I are not happy and feel very misled. How can we trust the health ratings at all now?'

'We will be taking them all back and don't know if we will shop there anymore as we have no trust in the products and feel lied to.'



It should be noted that the new grading system for non-dairy drinks, such as fruit juices, uses a new calculation that solely takes into account energy, sugar (including naturally occurring sugar in fruit), and the amount of fruit, vegetables, nuts, and legumes in a given product.

Manufacturers were given two years (ending November 2022), during which the government has granted them permission to alter their Health Star Rating labels in accordance with the new system.

So, there you have it, folks! What are your thoughts on this? Do you think the dad was in the right to be furious over the confusing labelling? Or should retailers put a label or at least a warning on the cartons about the change before displaying them to avoid confusion?
 
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In recent years, there has been an increased focus on healthy eating and living. This has led to many retailers providing health star ratings for the food and drink products they sell.

Health star ratings are a voluntary system that rates the nutritional content of packaged food and drinks. The ratings are based on an algorithm that takes into account energy, saturated fat, sodium, sugar, and protein content.

The system was developed by the Australian government in conjunction with the food industry and is now used in many countries around the world.

The aim of health star ratings is to help consumers make informed choices about the food they eat. However, there has been some criticism of the system, with some claiming that it is confusing and that it does not always accurately reflect the ‘healthiness’ of a product.



Such has been the case for one Woolworths customer who discovered two distinct health star ratings on the same product, prompting him to seek an explanation from the retailer.

After noticing the 5-star health rating, Aarron Ralston decided that the supermarket chain's house-brand tropical juice was a decent choice for his daughter and made several purchases of it on Saturday from the Waverley Gardens store in Victoria.

'We always buy going off the ratings so to give our daughters the most healthy food and drink,' he explained.

But while he was unpacking his groceries, the 38-year-old was perplexed to see that one of the boxes had an entirely different rating.

Aaron added: 'We were and still are shocked to find the 2.5-star - that's a huge drop and we wouldn't buy that for our family.'

UbFAB-QWZMA-OV_l-yHI5p-O0qpcBHgAQ7P4rp5uzncLGZl4C-FZd-h102ti1nNJJBlLWHvioZVRLErSWE9P9x-PipOqm-x1oadJs7D10C6pbKjnrvBRMXcntQzRPIHju3r9AqVISFN_PChyRw0sbQ

A shopper accused Woolworths of allegedly mislabeling the health star rating of its own brand of fruit juice. Credit: Facebook.

Frustrated, the Springvale resident took to Facebook and lodged a formal complaint with Woolworths.

'So which is correct? 2.5 stars or 5 stars? We bought a few packs of these assuming [they are] good for our daughter being 5-star but when checked 1 pack says 2.5 others say 5,' he wrote.



A Woolworths spokesperson claimed that the higher-rated carton was from an older batch and that the company's home-brand tropical juice received a new lower rating last year as a result of changes to the way ratings are determined.

'We display the Health Star Rating on a wide range of Woolworths branded products to help customers make informed choices,' the representative said.

'Following a review last year, the Federal Government has changed the way Health Star Ratings are calculated for certain products, including fruit juice.'

'The change includes a greater focus on sugar, including natural sugars, and has resulted in lower ratings for many fruit juices.'

'We've recently updated our own brand juice labels to reflect the new ratings, however, there may still be products available in the old packaging as we sell through it.'

VXYs1w5uMoFNMRUilZNAHK46Dv5tkqP3MXQmIc28LyvdqbKPIof6y3ymb4g1noF9umLIT3IxtgLddGx_4ATDc9Go82gRpdwdhVq4uq-XZOPm2G5QxW0iPyIG-UO67NSkXs0S45tuVLj14jJfPgxfuQ

The aim of health star ratings is to help consumers make informed choices about the food they eat. Credit: https://healthstarrating.gov.au.

In light of recent developments, Mr Ralston claimed that he and his wife have now lost faith in the health rating system and that they are considering boycotting the retailer.

The customer raised: 'How can they now change it to be unhealthy after showing it to be a good choice?'

'Both my wife and I are not happy and feel very misled. How can we trust the health ratings at all now?'

'We will be taking them all back and don't know if we will shop there anymore as we have no trust in the products and feel lied to.'



It should be noted that the new grading system for non-dairy drinks, such as fruit juices, uses a new calculation that solely takes into account energy, sugar (including naturally occurring sugar in fruit), and the amount of fruit, vegetables, nuts, and legumes in a given product.

Manufacturers were given two years (ending November 2022), during which the government has granted them permission to alter their Health Star Rating labels in accordance with the new system.

So, there you have it, folks! What are your thoughts on this? Do you think the dad was in the right to be furious over the confusing labelling? Or should retailers put a label or at least a warning on the cartons about the change before displaying them to avoid confusion?
As a parent and a grandparent, I would still rather buy the 99% juice. It was not Woolworths fault as the Government changed the rules to reflect the sugar content. They gavethem time to change their packaging to reflect the new ratings. Take responsibility in raising your child. Just give the juice in moderation and encourage the child to drink more water or milk. And keep them active.
 
In recent years, there has been an increased focus on healthy eating and living. This has led to many retailers providing health star ratings for the food and drink products they sell.

Health star ratings are a voluntary system that rates the nutritional content of packaged food and drinks. The ratings are based on an algorithm that takes into account energy, saturated fat, sodium, sugar, and protein content.

The system was developed by the Australian government in conjunction with the food industry and is now used in many countries around the world.

The aim of health star ratings is to help consumers make informed choices about the food they eat. However, there has been some criticism of the system, with some claiming that it is confusing and that it does not always accurately reflect the ‘healthiness’ of a product.



Such has been the case for one Woolworths customer who discovered two distinct health star ratings on the same product, prompting him to seek an explanation from the retailer.

After noticing the 5-star health rating, Aarron Ralston decided that the supermarket chain's house-brand tropical juice was a decent choice for his daughter and made several purchases of it on Saturday from the Waverley Gardens store in Victoria.

'We always buy going off the ratings so to give our daughters the most healthy food and drink,' he explained.

But while he was unpacking his groceries, the 38-year-old was perplexed to see that one of the boxes had an entirely different rating.

Aaron added: 'We were and still are shocked to find the 2.5-star - that's a huge drop and we wouldn't buy that for our family.'

UbFAB-QWZMA-OV_l-yHI5p-O0qpcBHgAQ7P4rp5uzncLGZl4C-FZd-h102ti1nNJJBlLWHvioZVRLErSWE9P9x-PipOqm-x1oadJs7D10C6pbKjnrvBRMXcntQzRPIHju3r9AqVISFN_PChyRw0sbQ

A shopper accused Woolworths of allegedly mislabeling the health star rating of its own brand of fruit juice. Credit: Facebook.

Frustrated, the Springvale resident took to Facebook and lodged a formal complaint with Woolworths.

'So which is correct? 2.5 stars or 5 stars? We bought a few packs of these assuming [they are] good for our daughter being 5-star but when checked 1 pack says 2.5 others say 5,' he wrote.



A Woolworths spokesperson claimed that the higher-rated carton was from an older batch and that the company's home-brand tropical juice received a new lower rating last year as a result of changes to the way ratings are determined.

'We display the Health Star Rating on a wide range of Woolworths branded products to help customers make informed choices,' the representative said.

'Following a review last year, the Federal Government has changed the way Health Star Ratings are calculated for certain products, including fruit juice.'

'The change includes a greater focus on sugar, including natural sugars, and has resulted in lower ratings for many fruit juices.'

'We've recently updated our own brand juice labels to reflect the new ratings, however, there may still be products available in the old packaging as we sell through it.'

VXYs1w5uMoFNMRUilZNAHK46Dv5tkqP3MXQmIc28LyvdqbKPIof6y3ymb4g1noF9umLIT3IxtgLddGx_4ATDc9Go82gRpdwdhVq4uq-XZOPm2G5QxW0iPyIG-UO67NSkXs0S45tuVLj14jJfPgxfuQ

The aim of health star ratings is to help consumers make informed choices about the food they eat. Credit: https://healthstarrating.gov.au.

In light of recent developments, Mr Ralston claimed that he and his wife have now lost faith in the health rating system and that they are considering boycotting the retailer.

The customer raised: 'How can they now change it to be unhealthy after showing it to be a good choice?'

'Both my wife and I are not happy and feel very misled. How can we trust the health ratings at all now?'

'We will be taking them all back and don't know if we will shop there anymore as we have no trust in the products and feel lied to.'



It should be noted that the new grading system for non-dairy drinks, such as fruit juices, uses a new calculation that solely takes into account energy, sugar (including naturally occurring sugar in fruit), and the amount of fruit, vegetables, nuts, and legumes in a given product.

Manufacturers were given two years (ending November 2022), during which the government has granted them permission to alter their Health Star Rating labels in accordance with the new system.

So, there you have it, folks! What are your thoughts on this? Do you think the dad was in the right to be furious over the confusing labelling? Or should retailers put a label or at least a warning on the cartons about the change before displaying them to avoid confusion?
I don't know why people buy fruit juice, they are full of sugar. Just read the contents panel before you buy it
 
In recent years, there has been an increased focus on healthy eating and living. This has led to many retailers providing health star ratings for the food and drink products they sell.

Health star ratings are a voluntary system that rates the nutritional content of packaged food and drinks. The ratings are based on an algorithm that takes into account energy, saturated fat, sodium, sugar, and protein content.

The system was developed by the Australian government in conjunction with the food industry and is now used in many countries around the world.

The aim of health star ratings is to help consumers make informed choices about the food they eat. However, there has been some criticism of the system, with some claiming that it is confusing and that it does not always accurately reflect the ‘healthiness’ of a product.



Such has been the case for one Woolworths customer who discovered two distinct health star ratings on the same product, prompting him to seek an explanation from the retailer.

After noticing the 5-star health rating, Aarron Ralston decided that the supermarket chain's house-brand tropical juice was a decent choice for his daughter and made several purchases of it on Saturday from the Waverley Gardens store in Victoria.

'We always buy going off the ratings so to give our daughters the most healthy food and drink,' he explained.

But while he was unpacking his groceries, the 38-year-old was perplexed to see that one of the boxes had an entirely different rating.

Aaron added: 'We were and still are shocked to find the 2.5-star - that's a huge drop and we wouldn't buy that for our family.'

UbFAB-QWZMA-OV_l-yHI5p-O0qpcBHgAQ7P4rp5uzncLGZl4C-FZd-h102ti1nNJJBlLWHvioZVRLErSWE9P9x-PipOqm-x1oadJs7D10C6pbKjnrvBRMXcntQzRPIHju3r9AqVISFN_PChyRw0sbQ

A shopper accused Woolworths of allegedly mislabeling the health star rating of its own brand of fruit juice. Credit: Facebook.

Frustrated, the Springvale resident took to Facebook and lodged a formal complaint with Woolworths.

'So which is correct? 2.5 stars or 5 stars? We bought a few packs of these assuming [they are] good for our daughter being 5-star but when checked 1 pack says 2.5 others say 5,' he wrote.



A Woolworths spokesperson claimed that the higher-rated carton was from an older batch and that the company's home-brand tropical juice received a new lower rating last year as a result of changes to the way ratings are determined.

'We display the Health Star Rating on a wide range of Woolworths branded products to help customers make informed choices,' the representative said.

'Following a review last year, the Federal Government has changed the way Health Star Ratings are calculated for certain products, including fruit juice.'

'The change includes a greater focus on sugar, including natural sugars, and has resulted in lower ratings for many fruit juices.'

'We've recently updated our own brand juice labels to reflect the new ratings, however, there may still be products available in the old packaging as we sell through it.'

VXYs1w5uMoFNMRUilZNAHK46Dv5tkqP3MXQmIc28LyvdqbKPIof6y3ymb4g1noF9umLIT3IxtgLddGx_4ATDc9Go82gRpdwdhVq4uq-XZOPm2G5QxW0iPyIG-UO67NSkXs0S45tuVLj14jJfPgxfuQ

The aim of health star ratings is to help consumers make informed choices about the food they eat. Credit: https://healthstarrating.gov.au.

In light of recent developments, Mr Ralston claimed that he and his wife have now lost faith in the health rating system and that they are considering boycotting the retailer.

The customer raised: 'How can they now change it to be unhealthy after showing it to be a good choice?'

'Both my wife and I are not happy and feel very misled. How can we trust the health ratings at all now?'

'We will be taking them all back and don't know if we will shop there anymore as we have no trust in the products and feel lied to.'



It should be noted that the new grading system for non-dairy drinks, such as fruit juices, uses a new calculation that solely takes into account energy, sugar (including naturally occurring sugar in fruit), and the amount of fruit, vegetables, nuts, and legumes in a given product.

Manufacturers were given two years (ending November 2022), during which the government has granted them permission to alter their Health Star Rating labels in accordance with the new system.

So, there you have it, folks! What are your thoughts on this? Do you think the dad was in the right to be furious over the confusing labelling? Or should retailers put a label or at least a warning on the cartons about the change before displaying them to avoid confusion?
 
All the health star rating does is lead the people to buy junk foods. Juice is not real food. Juice in a bottle is equivalent to about 5 pieces of fruit per 250 ml glass. For the most part the star rating supports the sugar and junk food industry. Probably better off going for the real food like meat, eggs, water, green veggies and berries, the last two in small amounts. No sure why the government needs to tell us how healthy the food in the supermarket is, we should be able to buy real healthy food without help
 
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In recent years, there has been an increased focus on healthy eating and living. This has led to many retailers providing health star ratings for the food and drink products they sell.

Health star ratings are a voluntary system that rates the nutritional content of packaged food and drinks. The ratings are based on an algorithm that takes into account energy, saturated fat, sodium, sugar, and protein content.

The system was developed by the Australian government in conjunction with the food industry and is now used in many countries around the world.

The aim of health star ratings is to help consumers make informed choices about the food they eat. However, there has been some criticism of the system, with some claiming that it is confusing and that it does not always accurately reflect the ‘healthiness’ of a product.



Such has been the case for one Woolworths customer who discovered two distinct health star ratings on the same product, prompting him to seek an explanation from the retailer.

After noticing the 5-star health rating, Aarron Ralston decided that the supermarket chain's house-brand tropical juice was a decent choice for his daughter and made several purchases of it on Saturday from the Waverley Gardens store in Victoria.

'We always buy going off the ratings so to give our daughters the most healthy food and drink,' he explained.

But while he was unpacking his groceries, the 38-year-old was perplexed to see that one of the boxes had an entirely different rating.

Aaron added: 'We were and still are shocked to find the 2.5-star - that's a huge drop and we wouldn't buy that for our family.'

UbFAB-QWZMA-OV_l-yHI5p-O0qpcBHgAQ7P4rp5uzncLGZl4C-FZd-h102ti1nNJJBlLWHvioZVRLErSWE9P9x-PipOqm-x1oadJs7D10C6pbKjnrvBRMXcntQzRPIHju3r9AqVISFN_PChyRw0sbQ

A shopper accused Woolworths of allegedly mislabeling the health star rating of its own brand of fruit juice. Credit: Facebook.

Frustrated, the Springvale resident took to Facebook and lodged a formal complaint with Woolworths.

'So which is correct? 2.5 stars or 5 stars? We bought a few packs of these assuming [they are] good for our daughter being 5-star but when checked 1 pack says 2.5 others say 5,' he wrote.



A Woolworths spokesperson claimed that the higher-rated carton was from an older batch and that the company's home-brand tropical juice received a new lower rating last year as a result of changes to the way ratings are determined.

'We display the Health Star Rating on a wide range of Woolworths branded products to help customers make informed choices,' the representative said.

'Following a review last year, the Federal Government has changed the way Health Star Ratings are calculated for certain products, including fruit juice.'

'The change includes a greater focus on sugar, including natural sugars, and has resulted in lower ratings for many fruit juices.'

'We've recently updated our own brand juice labels to reflect the new ratings, however, there may still be products available in the old packaging as we sell through it.'

VXYs1w5uMoFNMRUilZNAHK46Dv5tkqP3MXQmIc28LyvdqbKPIof6y3ymb4g1noF9umLIT3IxtgLddGx_4ATDc9Go82gRpdwdhVq4uq-XZOPm2G5QxW0iPyIG-UO67NSkXs0S45tuVLj14jJfPgxfuQ

The aim of health star ratings is to help consumers make informed choices about the food they eat. Credit: https://healthstarrating.gov.au.

In light of recent developments, Mr Ralston claimed that he and his wife have now lost faith in the health rating system and that they are considering boycotting the retailer.

The customer raised: 'How can they now change it to be unhealthy after showing it to be a good choice?'

'Both my wife and I are not happy and feel very misled. How can we trust the health ratings at all now?'

'We will be taking them all back and don't know if we will shop there anymore as we have no trust in the products and feel lied to.'



It should be noted that the new grading system for non-dairy drinks, such as fruit juices, uses a new calculation that solely takes into account energy, sugar (including naturally occurring sugar in fruit), and the amount of fruit, vegetables, nuts, and legumes in a given product.

Manufacturers were given two years (ending November 2022), during which the government has granted them permission to alter their Health Star Rating labels in accordance with the new system.

So, there you have it, folks! What are your thoughts on this? Do you think the dad was in the right to be furious over the confusing labelling? Or should retailers put a label or at least a warning on the cartons about the change before displaying them to avoid confusion?
 
When I complained about the packaging of sugar substitutes to a Woolworths manager his response was “ Woolworths are not responsible for manufacturers adherence to regulations”. The products can be life threatening to anyone with diabetes.
 
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Bloody hell. Want something to bitch about go and try living in Ukraine. This is NOT the retailer's fault and the fact that the criteria are set to be more stringent he should be happy that is now more accurate.
If you want healthy, give them real fresh squeezed juice or fruit
Some people just threaten to cut their noses off to spite their face
 
In recent years, there has been an increased focus on healthy eating and living. This has led to many retailers providing health star ratings for the food and drink products they sell.

Health star ratings are a voluntary system that rates the nutritional content of packaged food and drinks. The ratings are based on an algorithm that takes into account energy, saturated fat, sodium, sugar, and protein content.

The system was developed by the Australian government in conjunction with the food industry and is now used in many countries around the world.

The aim of health star ratings is to help consumers make informed choices about the food they eat. However, there has been some criticism of the system, with some claiming that it is confusing and that it does not always accurately reflect the ‘healthiness’ of a product.



Such has been the case for one Woolworths customer who discovered two distinct health star ratings on the same product, prompting him to seek an explanation from the retailer.

After noticing the 5-star health rating, Aarron Ralston decided that the supermarket chain's house-brand tropical juice was a decent choice for his daughter and made several purchases of it on Saturday from the Waverley Gardens store in Victoria.

'We always buy going off the ratings so to give our daughters the most healthy food and drink,' he explained.

But while he was unpacking his groceries, the 38-year-old was perplexed to see that one of the boxes had an entirely different rating.

Aaron added: 'We were and still are shocked to find the 2.5-star - that's a huge drop and we wouldn't buy that for our family.'

UbFAB-QWZMA-OV_l-yHI5p-O0qpcBHgAQ7P4rp5uzncLGZl4C-FZd-h102ti1nNJJBlLWHvioZVRLErSWE9P9x-PipOqm-x1oadJs7D10C6pbKjnrvBRMXcntQzRPIHju3r9AqVISFN_PChyRw0sbQ

A shopper accused Woolworths of allegedly mislabeling the health star rating of its own brand of fruit juice. Credit: Facebook.

Frustrated, the Springvale resident took to Facebook and lodged a formal complaint with Woolworths.

'So which is correct? 2.5 stars or 5 stars? We bought a few packs of these assuming [they are] good for our daughter being 5-star but when checked 1 pack says 2.5 others say 5,' he wrote.



A Woolworths spokesperson claimed that the higher-rated carton was from an older batch and that the company's home-brand tropical juice received a new lower rating last year as a result of changes to the way ratings are determined.

'We display the Health Star Rating on a wide range of Woolworths branded products to help customers make informed choices,' the representative said.

'Following a review last year, the Federal Government has changed the way Health Star Ratings are calculated for certain products, including fruit juice.'

'The change includes a greater focus on sugar, including natural sugars, and has resulted in lower ratings for many fruit juices.'

'We've recently updated our own brand juice labels to reflect the new ratings, however, there may still be products available in the old packaging as we sell through it.'

VXYs1w5uMoFNMRUilZNAHK46Dv5tkqP3MXQmIc28LyvdqbKPIof6y3ymb4g1noF9umLIT3IxtgLddGx_4ATDc9Go82gRpdwdhVq4uq-XZOPm2G5QxW0iPyIG-UO67NSkXs0S45tuVLj14jJfPgxfuQ

The aim of health star ratings is to help consumers make informed choices about the food they eat. Credit: https://healthstarrating.gov.au.

In light of recent developments, Mr Ralston claimed that he and his wife have now lost faith in the health rating system and that they are considering boycotting the retailer.

The customer raised: 'How can they now change it to be unhealthy after showing it to be a good choice?'

'Both my wife and I are not happy and feel very misled. How can we trust the health ratings at all now?'

'We will be taking them all back and don't know if we will shop there anymore as we have no trust in the products and feel lied to.'



It should be noted that the new grading system for non-dairy drinks, such as fruit juices, uses a new calculation that solely takes into account energy, sugar (including naturally occurring sugar in fruit), and the amount of fruit, vegetables, nuts, and legumes in a given product.

Manufacturers were given two years (ending November 2022), during which the government has granted them permission to alter their Health Star Rating labels in accordance with the new system.

So, there you have it, folks! What are your thoughts on this? Do you think the dad was in the right to be furious over the confusing labelling? Or should retailers put a label or at least a warning on the cartons about the change before displaying them to avoid confusion?
Whatever rating is correct is irrelevant, fruit juice is not a healthy option for anyone. Instead, eat the whole fruit that way you get the fibre plus vitamins, minerals etc, without causing a huge insulin spike due to too much fructose flooding your body!
 
In recent years, there has been an increased focus on healthy eating and living. This has led to many retailers providing health star ratings for the food and drink products they sell.

Health star ratings are a voluntary system that rates the nutritional content of packaged food and drinks. The ratings are based on an algorithm that takes into account energy, saturated fat, sodium, sugar, and protein content.

The system was developed by the Australian government in conjunction with the food industry and is now used in many countries around the world.

The aim of health star ratings is to help consumers make informed choices about the food they eat. However, there has been some criticism of the system, with some claiming that it is confusing and that it does not always accurately reflect the ‘healthiness’ of a product.



Such has been the case for one Woolworths customer who discovered two distinct health star ratings on the same product, prompting him to seek an explanation from the retailer.

After noticing the 5-star health rating, Aarron Ralston decided that the supermarket chain's house-brand tropical juice was a decent choice for his daughter and made several purchases of it on Saturday from the Waverley Gardens store in Victoria.

'We always buy going off the ratings so to give our daughters the most healthy food and drink,' he explained.

But while he was unpacking his groceries, the 38-year-old was perplexed to see that one of the boxes had an entirely different rating.

Aaron added: 'We were and still are shocked to find the 2.5-star - that's a huge drop and we wouldn't buy that for our family.'

UbFAB-QWZMA-OV_l-yHI5p-O0qpcBHgAQ7P4rp5uzncLGZl4C-FZd-h102ti1nNJJBlLWHvioZVRLErSWE9P9x-PipOqm-x1oadJs7D10C6pbKjnrvBRMXcntQzRPIHju3r9AqVISFN_PChyRw0sbQ

A shopper accused Woolworths of allegedly mislabeling the health star rating of its own brand of fruit juice. Credit: Facebook.

Frustrated, the Springvale resident took to Facebook and lodged a formal complaint with Woolworths.

'So which is correct? 2.5 stars or 5 stars? We bought a few packs of these assuming [they are] good for our daughter being 5-star but when checked 1 pack says 2.5 others say 5,' he wrote.



A Woolworths spokesperson claimed that the higher-rated carton was from an older batch and that the company's home-brand tropical juice received a new lower rating last year as a result of changes to the way ratings are determined.

'We display the Health Star Rating on a wide range of Woolworths branded products to help customers make informed choices,' the representative said.

'Following a review last year, the Federal Government has changed the way Health Star Ratings are calculated for certain products, including fruit juice.'

'The change includes a greater focus on sugar, including natural sugars, and has resulted in lower ratings for many fruit juices.'

'We've recently updated our own brand juice labels to reflect the new ratings, however, there may still be products available in the old packaging as we sell through it.'

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The aim of health star ratings is to help consumers make informed choices about the food they eat. Credit: https://healthstarrating.gov.au.

In light of recent developments, Mr Ralston claimed that he and his wife have now lost faith in the health rating system and that they are considering boycotting the retailer.

The customer raised: 'How can they now change it to be unhealthy after showing it to be a good choice?'

'Both my wife and I are not happy and feel very misled. How can we trust the health ratings at all now?'

'We will be taking them all back and don't know if we will shop there anymore as we have no trust in the products and feel lied to.'



It should be noted that the new grading system for non-dairy drinks, such as fruit juices, uses a new calculation that solely takes into account energy, sugar (including naturally occurring sugar in fruit), and the amount of fruit, vegetables, nuts, and legumes in a given product.

Manufacturers were given two years (ending November 2022), during which the government has granted them permission to alter their Health Star Rating labels in accordance with the new system.

So, there you have it, folks! What are your thoughts on this? Do you think the dad was in the right to be furious over the confusing labelling? Or should retailers put a label or at least a warning on the cartons about the change before displaying them to avoid confusion?
I buy something similar from Aldi and noticed the status rating was reduced by a similar margin in later packages
 
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