With feedback to FSANZ open until July 5^th, now is the time for health professionals, researchers and industry to provide input on how cooking oils are assessed in the Health Star Rating (HSR). Provide feedback here.

Front-of-pack labelling systems like the HSR are designed to make healthy eating simpler, by guiding shoppers to a healthier choice. In many cases the system works, but when it comes to single ingredient foods like cooking oils, the HSR creates more confusion than clarity.

Since 2014 (when the voluntary HSR was introduced) many oil producers have opted not to display the rating on their products, as the current algorithm does not appropriately assess edible oils. This year, FSANZ has been tasked with reviewing a proposal to mandate the HSR across Australia and New Zealand – raising a critical question: will FSANZ acknowledge the changes that must be made to the edible oils category?   

What are the key problems?

As cooking oils contain negligible sugar, sodium and are very similar in energy content, the HSR algorithm leans heavily on saturated fat as the sole differentiator. Level of processing, bioactive compounds or well-established health benefits are not considered in the rankings. This is why extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), regardless of quality, typically receives 3-3.5 stars whilst refined oils like canola and sunflower may receive 4-4.5.

For dietitians and nutrition experts this creates a very real clinical challenge. While credible health institutions and practitioners will continue to follow best practice guidelines and recommend EVOO as the healthiest cooking oil – the HSR system will communicate a conflicting message. Such inconsistency risks further confusing the public and may even erode trust in the HSR system, ultimately undermining its effectiveness as a nutrition guidance tool.

Call for Exemption

There are decades of research that showcases the many cardioprotective,^{1, 2} neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory benefits of cooking with EVOO daily.^3-5 To minimise confusion and encourage long term healthy eating patterns, our institute believes FSANZ should exempt the edible oils category from the mandate, until appropriate algorithm changes have been made.

Right now, FSANZ has opened their ‘First Call For Submissions’ until the 5^th of July. In this open forum, both individuals and organisations will have the opportunity to provide feedback on 19 specific questions. Whilst none of these questions directly address the edible oils category, we urge all dietitians and nutrition experts to write a submission that supports our call to exempt edible oils from the HSR mandate until necessary changes can be made.

Category specific adjustment is possible – improvements have been made to the HSR system in the past where there were obvious errors in the algorithm. For example, the HSR system was modified for dairy products because the original algorithm penalised foods such as cheese, milk and yoghurt too heavily due to saturated fat content. Now the same issue exists for edible oils.

Consider making a submission to FSANZ to support a more evidence-aligned approach to edible oils.

Feel free to email us at info@olivewellnessinstitute.org if you have any questions.     

Published 5/6/2026

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