Health Star Rating Calculator

Official HSR guide can be found here.

Step 1: Automatic Ratings Water
Flavored Water
Fruit or Vegetable
Other

Step 2: Determine Category 1 (Beverages)
1D (Dairy Beverages)
2 (Other)
2D (Dairy Foods)
3 (Oils and Spreads)
3D (Cheese)

Step 3: Determine Form

This step is not relevant to determining health star rating.

Step 4: Calculate Baseline Points

Energy (kJ)
Saturated Fat (g)
Total Sugars (g)
Sodium (mg)

*All measurements are per 100g or 100ml

Step 5: Calculate Modifying Points

Fruit, Vegetable, Nut and Legume (V)

% Concentrated FVNL
% Non-Concentrated FVNL
% FVNL

Protein (P) & Fibre (F)

Protein (g)
Dietary Fibre(g)

*All measurements are per 100g or 100ml

Step 6: Final Score

Step 7: Assign Health Star Rating

Relevant Section

In most cases the HSR should be calculated and displayed on the basis of the product as it appears on the shelf (i.e. as sold). Specific exemptions apply for products which must be rehydrated, diluted or mixed with water, or drained of water or brine. The HSR for these products can be calculated on the basis of the product ‘as prepared’. If the HSR is based on product ‘as prepared’ according to one of these specific exemptions, the label should clearly specify the directions for that preparation

Examples, but not an exhaustive list of these exemptions are:
• Rehydrated - dehydrated peas
• Diluted - condensed soups, cordial
• Mixed with water - powdered stock, powdered gravy, powdered soups, jelly crystals
• Drained of water - canned tuna
• Drained of brine - canned tuna, canned beans, canned vegetables

For products that say on the label it should be drained before consumption (for example drained of oil or syrup), and do not meet the above exemption to be labelled ‘as prepared’, HSRs should be calculated based on the product as it appears on the shelf (i.e. as sold). For products with these label directions the NIP is calculated ‘as prepared’ (for example drained of oil or syrup) as required by Standard 1.2.8 of the Code. In these cases, the HSR would not be calculated using the the information in the NIP. For these products only Figure 5.4 (the HSR icon without nutrient icons) should be displayed. A statement to the effect of ‘HSR calculated undrained’ should be included on packaging where space allows.

HSR modifying points may be scored for the amount of fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes (fvnl) (HSR V points) in a product. In some cases HSR modifying points may also be scored for the amount of protein and dietary fibre. Businesses are encouraged to list FVNL content as a percentage in the ingredients list or to keep records to substantiate FVNL claims to support transparency in the HSR system.

Determining the HSR V points

The method for determining the HSR V points is the same as that detailed in Schedule 5, however for the purposes of the HSR system the HSR V points allocated have been expanded.

HSR V points can be scored for fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes (fvnl) including coconut, spices, herbs, fungi, seeds and algae content including:
• fvnl that are fresh, cooked, frozen, canned, pickled or preserved; and
• fvnl that have been peeled, diced or cut (or otherwise reduced in size), puréed or dried.
• fruit juice or vegetable juice as standardised in Standard 2.6.1 of the Code including concentrated juices and purées;
• coconut flesh (which is to be scored as a nut), whether juiced, dried or desiccated, but not processed coconut products such as coconut milk, coconut cream or coconut oil; and
• the water in the centre of the coconut.

HSR V points cannot be scored for:
1) a constituent, extract or isolate of a food e.g. peanut oil, fruit pectin and de-ionised juice; or
2) cereal grains mentioned as a class of food in Schedule 22.

HSR V points may be scored for:
Flours derived from vegetables and legumes are eligible to score HSR V points as per the HSR V points scoring criteria above. Vegetable flours score V points as concentrated fruit or vegetable and legume flours score HSR V points as a non-concentrated fvnl source.
For products that may be considered a cereal grain, but are not listed under Schedule 22 of the Code, and/or for products where it is not clear whether or not they would be classed as a fruit, vegetable, nut or legume for the purposes of scoring HSR V points, advice can be sought from the HSR Advisory Committee (through the FoPL Secretariat).

Calculating HSR V points for ‘As sold’ versus ‘As consumed’ needs to consider:
The percentage of fvnl (including concentrated sources) in a product should be calculated in accordance with the appropriate method in Standard 1.2.10 of the Code - Characterising Ingredients and Components of Food - in the product as sold. The exception is when determining HSR V points for canned vegetables and legumes, where the percentage of fvnl should be calculated based on the products as it would be consumed (i.e. drained) and not the product as sold.
As a result of the above, the form of the fvnl in the product used to determine the percentage of non-concentrated fvnl / percentage concentrated fruits or vegetables will not always be the same as the form of the final product to which the HSR applies.
Establish the HSR V points (to a maximum of 8) in accordance with Table 4.

Table 4: HSR V points for Categories 1D, 2, 2D, 3 and 3D

Notes to Table 4
• Column 1 only applies if a product contains solely concentrated fruits or vegetables. Nuts and legumes are specifically excluded from the definition of fruit and vegetables and should be scored under Column 2 in all forms (fresh, dried, roasted etc.).
• Use Column 1 of Table 4 if the fruits or vegetables in the product are all concentrated (including dried), for example dried fruit or tomato paste.

• Use Column 2 of Table 4 if:
1. There are no concentrated (or dried) fruits or vegetables in the product; or
2. The percentages of all concentrated ingredients are calculated based on the ingredient when reconstituted (according to Standard 1.2.10-4(3) and 1.2.10-4(4) of the Code); or
3. The product contains a mixture of concentrated fruits or vegetables and non-concentrated fvnl sources (after following the formula given below); or
4. The product is potato crisps or similar low moisture vegetable product.

Products that score ≥13 HSR baseline points are not permitted to score points for protein unless they score five or more HSR V points in Table 4 above.

If the food product contains a mixture of concentrated fruits or vegetables and non-concentrated fvnl sources, the percentage of total fvnl must be worked out as follows:

where:
%non-concentrated fvnl/concentrated fruits or vegetables means the percentage of fvnl in the food determined using the appropriate calculation methods.

For the formula above, potato crisps and similar low moisture vegetable products are taken to be non-concentrated.

Table 5: HSR V Points for Category 1

Notes to Table 5
• For the purpose of the HSR Calculator a product that is >99.5% fvnl counts as 100% fvnl where food additives or fortificants have been added e.g. pure fruit juice with added vitamin C.

Determining Health Star Rating P & F points

Table 6 gives HSR protein and fibre points, a maximum of 15 points can be awarded for each. The extension of points for protein and fibre is non-linear beyond the original 5 point cap of the NPSC to account for the wide range of these nutrient values and so that the points assigned are not distorted by very high protein and fibre values found in only a few products.

The prescribed methods of analysis to determine total dietary fibre are outlined in Schedule 11 of the Code.

Table 6: HSR Protein (P) and Fibre (F) Points