Navigating what’s next – potential mandate for Health Star Rating in 2026
12 December 2025
Background
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has confirmed it is close to finalising its preparatory work on the potential mandating of the Health Star Rating (HSR) system. A short report summarising this work will be presented to the Food Ministers’ Meeting (FMM) in early 2026, alongside the final HSR uptake monitoring report. With the previous years’ results showing uptake steady at 35% in Australia, and 33% in NZ, it is almost certain the final uptake target set by Ministers of 70% as of November 2025 will not be met.
FSANZ’s report will outline the key components of the preparatory program, including consumer research, options for incorporating HSR into the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code), technical assessments, analysis of the HSR algorithm’s alignment with dietary guidelines, preliminary economics work, and findings from stakeholder consultation. This stage represents a critical milestone.
AFGC action
The AFGC has played an active role to ensure industry perspectives are heard and understood through submissions to FSANZ’s preparatory work consultations, and broader discussions with officials in the food regulatory system. This includes highlighting the costs to the sector of implementing, ensuring sufficient transition time, and exploring potential industry support.
We are hitting the ground running in the New Year engaging with the Assistant Health Minister ahead of any decision by the FMM, where we will be making sure industry’s voice is heard and considered in this conversation. We will continue to provide coordinated industry support and keep you informed as consultation materials and timelines are released.
Separately, the AFGC has played a significant role supporting the HSR Secretariat to develop an updated Industry Guide on the system, including additional practical worked examples. These resources will soon be available on the HSR website [Kim – link https://www.healthstarrating.gov.au/]. We will inform you as soon as they are accessible.
An AFGC member working group has been set up to gather input and make sure industry views are well represented as this work proceeds – contact Anne-Marie Mackintosh if you would like to join. The AFGC Nutrition and Regulation team is also available to discuss if you have any questions or would like to provide input/insights directly.
Member action
It is highly likely FSANZ will be tasked by ministers in early 2026 to start the formal process to mandate the HSR system through amending the Code. This will involve FSANZ raising a proposal to commence the work and undertaking two rounds of public consultation. With preparatory work completed, the expectation by ministers is that the process will be wrapped up within 12 – 18 months. At that point, the HSR regulation will be gazetted and a transition period will commence. The outcomes of this decision will have significant implications for labelling, packaging, and product reformulation.
If your business has not started preparing or understand what your products look like from an HSR perspective, things may move very quickly next year.
Contact
Anne-Marie Mackintosh, Associate Director – Nutrition and Regulation anne-marie.mackintosh@afgc.org.au or 0448 170 568.
Dr Duncan Craig
Director – Nutrition and Regulation
