Health Star

What Health Star does

The Health Star Rating System is a joint Australian and New Zealand government initiative introduced in June 2014 that provides a voluntary front-of-pack nutrition labelling system for packaged foods. It assigns products a rating of ½ to 5 stars based on a proprietary nutrient-profiling algorithm that balances risk nutrients (energy, saturated fat, sodium, total sugar) against positive nutrients (protein, fibre, and fruit, vegetable, nut, and legume content). The system is administered by the Health Star Rating Unit within the Australian Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, governed by the Health Star Rating Advisory Committee, and supported technically by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). It is currently the subject of a regulatory mandation pathway, with Food Ministers in February 2026 requesting FSANZ to prepare a proposal for inclusion in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.

The core product offering consists of the Health Star Rating Calculator (available as an online application and Microsoft Excel workbook), the Health Star Rating System Implementation Guide (Version 9, December 2025), and downloadable layered EPS artwork files for packaging application. Manufacturers use the calculator to determine ratings, apply artwork to packaging, and bear only the internal cost of packaging redesign. Supporting products include fact sheets, posters, social media assets, and translated resources in over 25 languages covering multicultural and First Nations audiences across both countries.

The business model is non-commercial: the system charges no fees to manufacturers or retailers, generates no licensing or royalty revenue, and is funded entirely by Australian (federal, state, and territory) and New Zealand government appropriations. The go-to-market is an OEM-embedded model in which manufacturers voluntarily adopt the rating and display it on the front of packaged foods, making the rating visible at point of purchase in retail environments across Australia and New Zealand. Consumer awareness stands at 89% when prompted, with 69% of consumers using the system at least sometimes when shopping, and awareness ranging from 85-95% across priority populations in Australia and 85-88% in New Zealand.

Name

Health Star

Legal name

Health Star Rating System (Australian Government Initiative)

Website

https://healthstarrating.gov.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Health Star Rating System is a joint Australian and New Zealand government front-of-pack nutrition labelling initiative introduced in 2014 that rates packaged foods from ½ to 5 stars. It serves food manufacturers, retailers, and shoppers across Australia and New Zealand through a voluntary, government-funded calculator-based system.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nutrition Labelling Standards

akta.pro primary industry

Food Standards, Labeling & Claims Regulation (HLAJAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Label Artwork/Regulatory Review & Compliance Consulting (FDA/USDA/EFSA; format, allergens, QUID) (AFALAHAL), Labeling, Nutrition Facts & Allergen Verification Services (AFALAAAH)

Keywords

• Front-of-pack labelling
• Nutrition rating system
• Nutrient profiling
• Food labelling standards
• Government health initiative

Headquarters

HQ city

Kansas City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: The Health Star Rating system is a joint government initiative funded by Australian (federal, state and territory) and New Zealand governments. No commercial revenue is generated. The system is completely voluntary with no fees charged to manufacturers or retailers for using the system.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Health Star Rating system is a voluntary front-of-pack nutrition labelling system for packaged foods, rating products from ½ to 5 stars based on nutrient content. Food manufacturers calculate ratings using the proprietary Health Star Rating Calculator (available as an online app and Microsoft Excel workbook) and apply the resulting star rating graphic to product packaging. The system is free to use, with no fees charged to manufacturers or retailers, and is jointly funded by Australian and New Zealand governments.

Product overview

The Health Star Rating System is a single unified product offering consisting of a front-of-pack nutrition labelling system that rates packaged foods from ½ to 5 stars. The core product is the Health Star Rating Calculator (available as an online app and Excel workbook) which calculates ratings based on nutrient profiling. Supporting offerings include the Implementation Guide (providing eligibility criteria and packaging application instructions) and downloadable artwork files for graphic application. The system is voluntary for food manufacturers in Australia and New Zealand and was jointly introduced in June 2014.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Health Star Rating Calculator An online application and Microsoft Excel workbook that calculates the Health Star Rating for packaged food products based on nutrient content including energy, saturated fat, sodium, sugar, protein, fibre, and fruit/vegetable/nut/legume content. For use by food manufacturers to determine star ratings for their products.
• Health Star Rating System Implementation Guide A comprehensive guide (Version 9) containing information on how to calculate and apply the HSR graphic to product packaging, categorising foods, product eligibility, points award system, and design elements. For food manufacturers and industry implementing the HSR system.
• Health Star Rating Artwork Files Downloadable EPS files containing HSR graphic layers including circle logo, energy icon, and full HSR graphic with nutrient icons for application to product packaging. For food manufacturers to apply the standardized HSR visual to their packaging.

Quantifiable outcome

• 89% consumer awareness when prompted
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Australian Government (Federal)coreOthers · 1 June 2014The Australian Government (through the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing) is the primary managing partner. Hosts the Health Star Rating Unit which manages operations and administration of the system. Provides the official website and calculator tools.
• New Zealand GovernmentcoreOthers · 1 June 2014Joint implementing partner for the Australia-New Zealand initiative. New Zealand adopted the HSR system from June 2014 after an advisory group determined it matched their front-of-pack labelling principles. Contributes to governance and funding.
• Australian State and Territory GovernmentscoreOthers · 1 June 2014Joint funding partners along with the Australian Federal Government and New Zealand Government. The system is jointly funded by Australian (federal, state, territory) and New Zealand governments.
• Food Regulation Standing Committee (FRSC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2014Provides policy advice on the Health Star Rating system. Responsible for overseeing day-to-day implementation and governance support. Endorsed the Health Star Rating Advisory Committee Terms of Reference.
• Food Ministers MeetingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2014Food Ministers and Ministers for Food Regulation in Australia and New Zealand are responsible for all decisions about the Health Star Rating system. In February 2026, they agreed to request FSANZ to prepare a Proposal on mandating the HSR system.
• Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2014Technical partner that developed the Nutrient Profiling Scoring Criterion (NPSC) underlying the calculator. Undertakes consumer research, monitoring, and currently conducting Proposal P1067 on mandating the HSR system.
• Health Star Rating Advisory Committee (HSRAC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2014Oversees day-to-day implementation of the system. Composed of representatives from public health, industry, and government. Chaired by Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.
• Industry, Public Health, and Consumer OrganizationsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Collaborative partners in the development of the Health Star Rating system. Industry stakeholders implement the system voluntarily; public health groups support nutritional standards; consumer organizations represent shopper interests.
• Ministry for Primary Industries (New Zealand)minorOthers · 1 January 2014Developed the New Zealand Step-by-Step Guide to Applying a Health Star Rating to products. Provides New Zealand-specific industry resources and information about how health star ratings work for NZ shoppers.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Keyhole Symbol (Nordic countries): Nordic co-deployed front-of-pack Keyhole symbol in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland identifying healthier options within food categories. Comparable to HSR as a government-backed regional labelling system that uses nutrient criteria to help shoppers identify healthier packaged food choices.

Direct peers

• Choices Programme (Choices International Foundation): International front-of-pack nutrition logo programme operating in multiple countries using nutrient criteria to certify healthier products. Comparable to HSR as a multi-country, criteria-based front-of-pack endorsement scheme aimed at shopper guidance and product reformulation.
• Nutri-Score: Nutri-Score is the most prominent direct peer — a front-of-pack nutrition label using a colour-coded letter-grade (A–E) system adopted across France and multiple EU countries. It is directly comparable because, like HSR, it condenses nutrient profiling into a simple at-a-glance front-of-pack symbol for shopper comparison, but uses a different scoring algorithm.
• Chile Warning Label System (Law 20.606): Chile's black octagonal warning labels for products high in calories, sugars, saturated fat, or sodium, replicated in Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, Argentina, and Israel. Comparable to HSR as a government-mandated front-of-pack nutrition labelling system targeting shopper behavior, but uses warning thresholds rather than composite scoring.
• Healthier Choice Symbol (Singapore): Singapore Health Promotion Board front-of-pack symbol identifying healthier options within specific food categories. Directly comparable to HSR as a government-administered, category-specific nutrition labelling system using nutrient criteria to endorse products as healthier choices.
• UK Traffic Light Labelling (FSA): UK Food Standards Agency front-of-pack traffic light labelling system displaying colour-coded levels of fat, saturated fat, sugars, and salt. Directly comparable to HSR as a government-endorsed front-of-pack nutrition communication tool for shoppers, though it uses per-nutrient colour coding rather than a composite score.

Others

• Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ): Bilateral Australia–New Zealand food standards agency and developer of the Nutrient Profiling Scoring Criterion underpinning the HSR Calculator. Comparable as the technical co-developer and infrastructure provider behind the HSR system, with broader responsibilities across the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.
• Health Star Rating Advisory Committee (HSRAC): Internal advisory body for HSR rather than a peer; included here as an ecosystem/governance partner that represents the multi-stakeholder oversight model (industry, public health, government) common to FOPL programs globally.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. FDA Front-of-Package Nutrition Label: U.S. Food and Drug Administration administers the Nutrition Facts label and proposed front-of-package nutrition labelling requirements. Comparable as the U.S. regulatory counterpart for nutrition communication, though it focuses on the Nutrition Facts Panel rather than a star-rating composite.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/healthstarsau
• Facebookfacebook.com/healthgovau
• Instagraminstagram.com/healthgovau

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Health Star