Short Oral Presentation Nutrition Society of Australia 50th Annual Scientific Meeting 2026

Changes in the Health Star Rating, protein, and fibre content of Australian breakfast cereals from 2021 to 2025 (146951)

Kimberley Keller 1 , Lyndal Wellard 2 3 , Clare Hughes 2 , Simone Pettigrew 4 , Bridget Kelly 1 , Elizabeth Neale 1
  1. School of Medical, Indigenous and Health Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
  2. Cancer Prevention and Advocacy Division, Cancer Council NSW, Woolloomooloo, NSW, Australia
  3. Discipline of Nutrition and Dietetics, Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  4. The George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia

The Health Star Rating (HSR) is a front-of-pack labelling system that allows for comparison of the nutritional profile of products within food categories. Ratings range from 0.5 to 5 stars and are calculated based on negative components (i.e., energy, saturated fat, sodium, and total sugars) and positive components (i.e., fruit, vegetable, nut and legume content, dietary fibre, and protein). While currently a voluntary system, a proposal for a mandatory HSR is under consultation. Front-of-pack labelling, such as the HSR, can motivate manufacturers to reformulate foods to healthier nutritional profiles(1). However, concerns have been raised regarding the HSR algorithm, including the potential for higher ratings to be achieved by adding positive components such as protein and/or fibre, through added ingredients (e.g., soy protein and inulin), without substantive reformulation(2). Breakfast cereals are commonly consumed in Australia and may incorporate added protein(3). This study aimed to examine the change in HSR, nutrient content, and added protein and fibre ingredients in breakfast cereals from 2021 to 2025. Data on the HSR and nutrition composition of breakfast cereals was obtained from the 2021-2025 FoodSwitch databases held by the George Institute for Global Health. Breakfast cereals available across all years were identified, with mean HSR and mean change in nutrient composition per 100g (i.e., energy, protein, saturated fat, sugar, fibre, and sodium) calculated per year. For products where the HSR increased over time, ingredient lists in the year preceding and following the increase were examined to identify added protein and/or added fibre ingredients. In total, n=227 breakfast cereals were available across all years (2021 – 2025). In this timeframe, the proportion of products displaying the HSR increased (2021: 78%; 2025: 80%), as did mean HSR (2021: 4.02 ± 0.85; 2025: 4.10 ± 0.83). Of the n=44 products which had a change in HSR, n=37 increased their HSR. When mean changes in nutrient content over time were calculated, small increases were found in energy (0.82kJ/100g) and fibre (0.15g/100g), with decreases in protein (-0.17g/100g), saturated fat (-0.10g/100g), sugar (-0.55g/100g), and sodium (-3.94mg/100g) content. Examination of ingredient lists among products which increased HSR found the use of added protein and/or added fibre ingredients, as well as increased fibre from wholegrain content. Improvements in HSR were observed in breakfast cereals between 2021 and 2025, and these were primarily the result of decreases in the amount of negative nutrients. Of note, changes in fibre content appeared to be driven by both increased wholegrain content and added fibre ingredients. The HSR remains a valuable tool to guide consumer choice. Given that mandatory implementation of HSR is currently under consultation, review of the algorithm underpinning the HSR is required to ensure HSR improvements are driven by favourable reformulation rather than added ingredients.

  1. Mantilla Herrera A, Crino M, Erskine H et al. (2018) Nutrients 10, 614
  2. mpconsulting. Health Star Rating System Five Year Review Report. 2019.
  3. Keaney M, Jones A, Maganja D, Barrett E et al. (2025) Public Health 248, 105968