Australia to Mandate Front-Of-Pack Labelling

The Australian Government will propose mandating Health Star Ratings on all packaged food products at next week’s Food Ministers Meeting.

The Front-Of-Pack (FOP) labelling scheme has been voluntary since their introduction in 2014. In 2020, Food Ministers agreed to mandate the system if update failed to reach 70% by 2025. Recent data from Food Standards Australia New Zealand shows that only 37% of products currently display a Health Star Rating, well below the agreed target.

While Health Star Ratings are intended as a basic guide, the Government will continue to monitor and update the methodology as needed. A final decision will be made after Food Ministers consider advice on implementation options.