SUNRAYSIA citrus growers fear revenue will be lost after Australian state health ministers officially decided last week orange juice was worse for consumers than Diet Coke.
Local grower Kevin Cock said the decision “beggars belief” and could lead to dumping of this year’s harvest.
The new Australian health star ratings will rate drinks from one to five stars based on sugar content, and will not take nutrition into account.
While some 100 per cent fruit juices could receive a four-star rating, those with higher sugar content could be as low as 2.5 stars — lower than some soft drinks.
Mr Cock said he hoped consumers would use common sense and disregard the new label, but “it will have an impact (on sales)”.
“There are people who read the labels and won’t buy something with a low rating.”
He said the full impact of the decision was unlikely to be felt until the winter navel orange harvest.
“If the consumer has doubt, we’ll dump that fruit,” he said. “We won’t market it.”
The ministers who voted in favour of the new ratings, including Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley and ministers from Queensland, the Northern Territory and the ACT, were “out of touch,” Mr Cock said.
“I don’t know where their thinking is coming from,” he said. “We want kids to eat nutritious food and beverages, yet they put soft drink ahead of orange juice.”
Australia’s fruit juice industry is worth $736 million and peak bodies last week pleaded with Victoria and Queensland to oppose the ratings downgrade to avoid negative impacts on their citrus industries.
Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud slammed the decision, saying it was “madness” to reduce juice’s rating.
“How can anyone believe that the health star rating for drinks with no nutritional value should be higher than 100 per cent fruit and vegetable juices?” Mr Littleproud said.
“(The states) have made a mockery of the rating system and have ignored Australian Government and industry concerns.”
Mr Foley was contacted for comment.
