The health star rating of fruit juices could rise as CSIRO works to lower the juice sugar content

Two years after the health star rating of fruit juices was halved due to the high sugar content, the CSIRO says it is working on a technology that could reduce the sugar content by two-thirds.

Core items:

The CSIRO says it can reduce the sugar content of natural juice by 70 percent
This could lead to a review of the bad health star rating for natural juice
Along with a reduction in sugar, the end product has a lower GI and higher antioxidant content

CSIRO’s fermentation technology, patented in 2018, converts the naturally occurring sugars in fruit juices into complex carbohydrates like fiber, which in turn reduces the sugar content of the beverage.

The science agency is not releasing any further information at this time as the technology is still being improved and it is looking for partners to commercialize it, but researcher Gemma Howells is excited about its potential.

Spacebar to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to search, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 3 minutes 42 seconds 3 minutes 42 seconds What the star rating means for orange juice.

“It’s just incredible that we found a way to significantly reduce the sugar content of juices through a natural process.”

Ms Howells said that in addition to a reduction in sugar, the end product also had a lower glycemic index and fewer calories, and was higher in antioxidants.

“There are no additives, there are no sweeteners involved, and you get the nutritional benefits of juice without so much sugar.”

Big health issue

Sugar consumption is a major health problem in Australia and excess consumption is a major contributor to several diseases including obesity and diabetes.

CSIRO team working on the project, Anna Tao and Gemma Howells. (Provided: CSIRO)

Ms Howells said most people would be surprised to know how much sugar is in a typical bottle of juice, with many brands containing up to nine grams of sugar per 100ml.

“It may not have any added sugars, but it may contain up to 10 teaspoons of naturally occurring sugars.”

She said the problem lies in the juicing phase, when the sugars came out of the cells during processing, leaving insufficient fiber in the juice to bind the sugars.

Producers say it’s ‘bureaucracy gone crazy’

Two years ago, a review of Australia’s Health Star Rating (HSR) system found that fruit juices were rated worse than diet cokes.

That’s because the rating of non-dairy beverages like juice is based on the amount of total energy a product has, rather than also considering the amount of protein and fiber.

This change meant that most fruit juice products went from 5 stars to 2 to 4 stars, while those with more than 11 percent sugar dropped to 1 to 1.5 stars.

Nathan Hancock, CEO of Citrus Australia, said orange juice is being “demonized” as a product.

He said the industry would prefer the rating system to be scrapped.

“There are so many other manufactured products that intentionally hide sugar in them to enhance the taste and encourage people to eat them,” he said.

“I think his bureaucracy has gone insane, to be honest.”

Citrus Australia’s Nathan Hancock says the health star rating system should be scuttled. (ABC Rural: Kellie Hollingworth)

The health star rating could improve

Gemma Howells said CSIRO hopes its new technology can improve the health star rating of fruit juices.

“That’s definitely an ambition we have,” she said.

The rating is linked to the energy level. So if they can reduce the amount of sugar, it should improve the rating.

Citrus Australia has commissioned new research from Hort Innovations to counter existing health star ratings. (7 p.m. TV News SA)

The Federal Department of Health has told the ABC that it will review Citrus Australia’s research.

But Nathan Hancock said he would prefer the system to be scrapped.

“I think the focus that the health star ratings are putting on these products is misguided, and I really think it’s about time this system was actually reviewed and sunk,” he said.

Citrus Australia is working with grower-owned research group Hort Innovation to identify the nutritional benefits of juices, and the results of that study are expected later this year.