Use your noodle
New Zealand Listener|September 23-29 2023
Health star ratings are a welcome addition to food labels but they are only useful when you compare like with like.
JENNIFER BOWDEN
Use your noodle

QUESTION: My teenage son loves snacking on instant noodles. After reading about the health risks of ultra-processed foods, I was thinking about not buying them any more. But the ones we buy have a 3-star health rating on the front of the packet. How can an ultra-processed food achieve this?

ANSWER: The health star-rating system is designed to help consumers choose healthier options among packaged foods. However, while more stars indicate a more nutritious food, that is true only when comparing products within a food category. And just because a rating grades a product as "healthier" than its competitor's does not make the food a health-promoting choice.

Comparing a rating for instant noodles with one for breakfast cereal is therefore meaningless. Instead, you should use the rating to compare products within the same product category.

When comparing all the different types of instant noodles on the market, Maggi 2 Minute Noodles has a rating of 3 stars, whereas Fusian Mi Goreng Hot & Spicy Noodles has a lower rating of 2.5 stars, so the Maggi 2-Minute Noodles are healthier.

Denne historien er fra September 23-29 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra September 23-29 2023-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA NEW ZEALAND LISTENERSe alt
First-world problem
New Zealand Listener

First-world problem

Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Applying intelligence to AI
New Zealand Listener

Applying intelligence to AI

I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Nazism rears its head
New Zealand Listener

Nazism rears its head

Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Staying ahead of the game
New Zealand Listener

Staying ahead of the game

Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Grasping the nettle
New Zealand Listener

Grasping the nettle

Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Hangry? Eat breakfast
New Zealand Listener

Hangry? Eat breakfast

People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Chemical reaction
New Zealand Listener

Chemical reaction

Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Me and my guitar
New Zealand Listener

Me and my guitar

Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Time is on my side
New Zealand Listener

Time is on my side

Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?

time-read
7 mins  |
September 9, 2024
The kids are not alright
New Zealand Listener

The kids are not alright

Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024