ASK NEIL ANYTHING: Why do some healthy foods rate lower than junk food on the Health Star scale?

While grocery shopping you may have spotted the health star rating and wondered why some healthy food rates lower than junk food and drinks.

Research fellow at the department of nutrition dietetics and food at Monash University, Sarah Dickie, says the health star rating scores foods and drinks on “negative” and “positive” nutrients.

“It has a score for each of these things and then balances them out, with diet soft drink, it actually doesn’t contain any of those things … when you balance out nothing and that little tiny bit of energy it has, it gets a score somewhere in between which is the 3.5,” she told Neil Mitchell.

Press PLAY to hear why healthy foods rates lower than junk food on the Health Star scale

Image: iStock.