Toxic Treats in Disguise: How Zooper Doopers Earned a 3-Star Health Rating Despite Cancer Concerns.
Zooper Dooper Toxic Treat
As a leading paediatric nutritionist and mother of two, I am outraged by the blatant flaws in Australia's Health Star Rating system. How is it possible that a product like Zooper Dooper, which contains an ingredient banned in the US for its links to cancer, can still earn a 3-star rating?
As parents, we’re constantly striving to make the best nutritional choices for our children, and the Health Star Rating system —a joint Australian and New Zealand Government initiative —was designed to make that easier. At first glance, it appears to be a helpful tool, offering guidance to families by rating foods based on their overall health profile. But there’s a serious flaw. Some products, including one iconic children's snack with a 3-star rating, contains an ingredient that is banned in the United States due to potential links to cancer. The problem is, parents are often relying on these ratings as the deciding factor for what goes into their children’s lunchboxes, unaware that these so-called "healthy" products may be no better than a Kit Kat or Snickers bar. Though well-meaning, the Health Star Rating system is inadvertently leading parents down a deceptive path when it comes to nutrition.
What is the Health Star Rating?
The Health Star Rating system is a self-regulated nutritional rating system, which assigns a rating from 0.5 to 5 stars based on the nutritional profile of packaged foods. It’s designed to compare similar products in a particular category, helping parents to choose between yoghurts, cereals and breakfast bars. It considers both positive nutrients like fibre, protein, and vitamins, as well as negative factors like sugar, sodium, and saturated fat. However, the system has significant flaws. It often overlooks the overall nutritional quality of a product, allowing foods that contain refined sugars, artificial sweeteners, additives, preservatives and other artificial ingredients, and that are low in essential nutrients to receive surprisingly high ratings.
Let’s dive into why the Health Star Rating can be so misleading and highlight some popular products that are far from nutritious, despite their high star ratings.
The Deceptive Stars: Popular but Unhealthy Choices
Let’s dive into a few popular children’s products that boast high Health Star Ratings but are actually poor nutritional choices. If you’re a parent shocked by what you read below and want healthier alternatives for your family, head to my blog, where you’ll find plenty of better swaps everyone can enjoy.
1. Up & Go – 4.5 Health Star Rating
Up & Go is often marketed as the ideal breakfast solution for busy families, and with its 4.5 Health Star Rating, it’s no wonder parents might believe it’s a healthy option for their kids. But here’s the reality: Up & Go is far from a balanced breakfast. In fact, it’s loaded with sugar and artificial ingredients, making it more like a sugary drink than a nutritious start to the day.
Each carton of Up & Go contains 4 teaspoons of sugar—while one teaspoon comes from naturally occurring milk sugars, the rest are a mix of cane sugar, maltodextrin, and fructose. But that’s not all. It also contains vegetable oil, artificial flavours, and carrageenan, an emulsifier linked to digestive inflammation and irritation. While it might give your child a quick energy boost, it doesn’t offer the sustained nutrition they need to fuel their day.
Instead of relying on misleading Health Star Ratings, parents should aim for simple, whole food options that offer real nourishment. A cup of milk and a slice of wholegrain toast with peanut butter is a far better choice. And if you’re after a quick, on-the-go alternative, try a homemade smoothie. Blend 1 cup of milk, 1 banana, 1 tbs of peanut butter or a handful of almonds for a balanced, nutritious start to the day.
2. Milo Snack Bars – 4 Star Rating!
Milo Snack Bars are marketed as a convenient, energy-boosting snack for active kids. With a high Health Star Rating, they seem like a healthy option. However, these bars are packed with sugar and refined grains, offering little more than empty calories. Sugar is listed nine times in the ingredient list, appearing in forms like white refined sugar, glucose, maltodextrin, malt extract and invert sugar. Sugar can lead to energy spikes followed by crashes, not to mention its harmful effects on a child's gut health and immune system.
Including vegetable oil and other additives further lowers the product's nutritional value. While the added vitamins and minerals on the label may look appealing, they don’t compensate for the high sugar content and lack of natural, whole food ingredients. Parents looking for a truly healthy snack for their children should aim for options made from whole foods with minimal processing and added sugars.
3. Bluey Fruit and Yoghurt Snack Bars – 4 Star Rating
Kids love Bluey, and it’s no surprise that the branding of these snack bars is eye-catching for both children and parents alike. While the Health Star Rating might suggest they’re a healthy option, looks can be deceiving. These bars contain five different sugar types: glucose, honey, refined white sugar, and raw sugar. As if that weren’t enough, the so-called “fruit” is actually flavoured fruit pieces that are preserved with sulphur dioxide (220)—a preservative known to potentially trigger asthma attacks in sensitive children (and adults), a far cry from real whole fruit.
These bars should be reserved for special occasions, like birthday parties, and treated as a "sometimes" food—certainly not something to regularly pack in lunchboxes. But let’s be clear: this isn’t about shaming parents whose kids beg for Bluey-branded yoghurt bars. With a 4-Star Health Rating, it’s easy to see why any well-meaning parent would believe it’s ideal for their kiddies.
4. Nutri-Grain – 4 stars
Despite its 4-star Health Rating, Nutri-Grain is not the healthy breakfast choice it is often marketed to be. A closer look at its ingredients shows it’s high in refined grains and contains nearly 2.5 teaspoons (10 grams of sugar per serving), primarily from processed sugars like white sugar and maltodextrin. Many children and adults also tend to consume more than the recommended 40g serving, leading to even higher sugar intake.
Although Nutri-Grain contains added fibre and protein, part of that protein comes from added wheat gluten. This gluten is intentionally included to boost the cereal's protein content but may not be the best choice for the growing number of Australians who are trying to reduce gluten in their diets. There are far healthier, wholefood ways to provide children with adequate protein without resorting to adding gluten to their breakfast.
Moreover, while Nutri-Grain is fortified with synthetic vitamins and minerals, these additions do not compensate for the cereal’s poor nutritional profile. A better alternative would be a wholesome breakfast like oats, wholegrain toast with avocado, or Weet-Bix topped with fresh berries. These options provide more balanced nutrition, offering sustained energy without unnecessary additives.
5. Zooper Doopers (No Sugar) – 3 Star Rating
Zooper Doopers hold a special place in the hearts of many Australians with their vibrant colours and nostalgic appeal. Now, with the combination of a no-sugar product and claim, plus a 3 Health Star Rating, parents can easily be misled into believing they are a guilt-free option for their kids. But despite the absence of sugar, these sugar-free icy poles are loaded with artificial sweeteners and colours—some of the most concerning additives in food products today.
Among the artificial colours are Caramel (150d), Azorubine (122), Brilliant Blue (133), Sunset Yellow (110), and Amaranth (123), the latter of which is banned in the US as a suspected carcinogen. Although recent research has disputed this claim, it’s still banned in the US, and why would any food brand consider adding a banned ingredient with potential links to cancer in a kiddie’s food product, especially when there are so many other options to choose from? All of the colourings used in this product are also linked to other serious health concerns, including inflammation, gut issues, DNA damage, eczema, hyperactivity, and allergic reactions.
It doesn’t stop there. Zooper Doopers also contain three preservatives: Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, and Sodium Metabisulphite, all of which have been associated with conditions like asthma, hyperactivity, headaches, and stomach issues in children. Despite these questionable ingredients, the Health Star Rating system does not adequately account for the presence of such artificial additives, leading parents to believe they are offering their children a healthier alternative when, in reality, these products are just as nutritionally void as the sugary originals.
This isn’t to say that the occasional Zooper Dooper, with or without sugar, is going to cause long-term health problems. The real issue in focus here, aside from the food manufacturer using such questionable ingredients, is how a product with such a toxic combination of chemicals can receive a Health Star Rating of 3. Rather than reassuring parents, perhaps it should come with a warning instead.
How to Make Better Food Choices for Your Children
Read the Ingredients List: Don’t rely solely on the Health Star Rating. Always check the ingredients list to see what’s really in the product. Look for whole food ingredients and avoid items with added sugars, artificial sweeteners, and preservatives.
Prioritise Whole Foods: Whenever possible, choose whole foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. These are naturally nutrient-dense and free from the additives and sugars found in many packaged foods.
Be Sceptical of Marketing Claims: Just because a product is marketed as healthy or has a high Health Star Rating doesn’t mean it’s the best choice. Always question the claims on the packaging and do your own research.
Look for Additives and Preservatives: Many products aimed at children contain artificial colours, flavours, and preservatives, which can negatively impact children’s health. Avoid products with long ingredient lists and ingredients with unfamiliar names or numbers. Check out my blog: How to Read Nutrition Labels Like a Pro: A Parent’s Guide!, which will help you to recognise which numbers to avoid.
Limit Packaged Foods: Limit the amount of packaged and processed foods in your child’s diet. Focus on fresh, whole foods that provide real nutrition and energy.
Look for Healthy Swaps: If you are struggling to wean your kids off any of these products, I have your back. I have compiled a list of healthier swaps that are lower in sugar and free from additives and preservatives for you to introduce to your family. Read the article here.
Conclusion
The Health Star Rating system is a deceptive marketing hoax used by brands to fool consumers - especially when it comes to foods marketed toward children. It allows nutritionally poor products to get a seal of approval by intentionally failing to consider all the ingredients within a product. Therefore, it’s important not to let the stars fool you—always dig deeper and make informed choices about what you feed your children. By being vigilant and prioritizing whole, unprocessed foods, you can ensure your kids get the nutrition they need to grow strong and healthy, without falling into the trap of deceptive marketing.
Remember, your child’s health is too important to leave to a star rating. Take control, read labels, and make the best choices for your family’s well-being.
Take the guesswork out of your grocery shopping and join a community of parents committed to improving their children's health through better food choices. Sign up now and take the first step towards smarter, healthier shopping.