.svg)
Food labelling rarely stands still — and 2026 has been a busy year
If you make or import food and beverages for the Australian market, the Food Standards Code is a moving target. 2026 has brought a cluster of developments worth getting ahead of — one becoming mandatory, one closing a long-standing gap, and one notable change that isn't happening after all. Here are the three we're watching.
1. The Health Star Rating is moving toward mandatory
The Health Star Rating (HSR) has been voluntary since it launched, and industry uptake never reached the 70% target that governments set as the threshold for keeping it optional. In February 2026, Food Ministers formally agreed to begin the process of making the HSR mandatory, and FSANZ has started a legislative process — expected to run 12 to 18 months — to write it into the Food Standards Code.
For most brands this is the change with the longest tail and the biggest implications. Plenty of products don't display an HSR today precisely because they'd score poorly — but a voluntary omission won't survive a mandatory scheme. If that describes any of your range, now is the time to model your likely star ratings and think about reformulation or positioning, rather than waiting for the requirement to land.
2. Energy is coming to alcohol labels
Packaged alcoholic drinks have long sat outside much of the nutrition labelling that applies to food. That gap is narrowing. Changes to the Code now mandate energy (kilojoule) declarations on most packaged alcoholic beverages, and permit optional carbohydrate and sugar declarations for drinks above 1.15% alcohol by volume.
For producers and importers of beer, wine, spirits and RTDs, this means updated label artwork and correctly calculated declarations. It's a straightforward change in principle, but as with any labelling requirement, the detail — how energy is calculated and declared, and how it interacts with existing label elements — is where compliance is won or lost.
3. Added sugars — the change that isn't happening
After years of debate, FSANZ abandoned its proposal to require "added sugars" to be listed separately in the Nutrition Information Panel, formally closing it out in March 2026. Its assessment concluded that separate added-sugars labelling had no clear public-health benefit, risked confusing consumers, and would impose substantial costs on industry and government.
This one matters precisely because it's a non-event: if you'd been preparing to overhaul your NIPs for separate added-sugars declarations, you can stand down. But keep it on the watch-list — added sugars is a topic that has resurfaced before, and a future review isn't off the cards.
The bigger picture
Two of these three point the same way: more mandatory labelling, less reliance on voluntary schemes. The direction of travel in Australian food regulation is toward requirements that apply across the board, and the brands that fare best are the ones that plan for changes while they're still on the horizon rather than scrambling when they commence.
Who should be paying attention
- Food and beverage brands generally — especially any relying on the absence of a Health Star Rating.
- Alcohol producers and importers — the energy-labelling change applies broadly across packaged alcoholic drinks.
- Anyone mid-way through a labelling or NIP project — worth checking your plans against what's actually changing (and what isn't).
How Engel Hellyer & Partners can help
We keep across the Food Standards Code so you don't have to track every proposal and amendment. We generate compliant Nutrition Information Panels and Health Star Ratings, review artwork and claims, and help brands plan for changes like mandatory HSR before they bite. If you'd like to know how these 2026 developments affect your range, we're happy to take a look.
This article is general information only and does not constitute regulatory advice for any specific product. Requirements change; confirm the current position before acting.
Further reading
Primary sources from Food Standards Australia New Zealand:
.svg)