‘Madness’ as orange juice ranked lower than diet cola in health stakes
It’s official: orange juice is now less healthy than diet cola, in a decision that’s been described as “a kick in the guts” for an ailing industry.
FRESH orange juice will now be ranked as less healthy than diet cola after a last-ditch bid to save its health star rating was lost today.
State ministers overwhelmingly voted in favour of axing 100-per-cent, no-added-sugar juice’s five-star rating under the health star system, despite pleas from industry that the move will crush the already ailing sector.
An overhaul of Australia’s health-star rating system this year resulted in juice being slapped with a 2.5-star rating, based on a new calculation that penalises sugar content more heavily.
Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud put forward a proposal to give juice a four-star rating at today’s food regulations ministerial forum, which was only backed by the prime citrus-growing states of NSW and South Australia.
Mr Littleproud said the others states’ refusal to reconsider the rating was “a kick in the guts” for the citrus farmers and the $800-million juice industry.
“It’s madness. Fresh, pure, vitamin-rich Aussie OJ is better than soft drink every day of the week and our health star rating system should reflect this,” Mr Littleproud said.
“It will cause consumer confusion and impact sales in an already difficult year for farmers.
“The disgraceful decision has undermined the integrity of the entire Health Star Rating system, and will lead to juice manufacturers dropping the health label altogether, leaving consumers worse off.”
Growers have said a health star rating demotion would be the “nail in the coffin” for an industry already struggling with low farmgate prices.
Citrus Australia chief executive Nathan Hancock said the industry has been at pains to point out the abundance of nutrients in fresh juice that the new calculation failed to register, making any score downgrade at odds with the Australian Dietary Guidelines.
“Diet Coke is not healthier than orange juice, and that’s resonating pretty strongly,” he said.
The Weekly Times has sought comment from Victorian Agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes.
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