Jason Clare responds to shocking childcare allegations from Melbourne
It means more parents now face the excruciating prospect that their children may be involved, and may be required to undergo health screening.
On Tuesday, Brown was charged with more than 70 offences including sexual assault relating to eight alleged victims at a childcare centre in Melbourne's west. Authorities had also listed more than 20 other centres he'd worked at across the city. These allegations will now be tested in court.
The latest allegations put pressure on the federal government to overhaul the regulation of childcare in Australia. Education Minister Jason Clare is the Minister responsible and he spoke to Sarah Ferguson.
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News.com.au
6 hours ago
- News.com.au
Leading pediatric nutritionist exposes food Health Star Rating system
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'In my view, the Health Star Rating (HSR) is a ticking public health time bomb – it could one day be seen as the asbestos scandal of our food system,' she told 'It's misleading Australian families, especially parents, by giving ultra-processed foods a health halo. 'Products full of additives, synthetic fibres, emulsifiers, artificial sweeteners and industrial seed oils are scoring 4 or 5 stars, yet emerging evidence links these ingredients to ADHD, gut damage, insulin resistance, anxiety, depression and even cancer.' The pediatric nutritionist said these ingredients and additives are often found in many popular muesli bar products, including those which are rated three, four and five stars under the system. 'The system completely ignores the internationally recognised NOVA scale, which classifies foods based on their level of processing,' Ms Sacher said. 'These ultra-processed snacks are engineered to override satiety and promote over consumption, yet they're being marketed to kids with government endorsement. 'Parents trust the stars. But often, the higher the rating, the more processed the product. 'That's not just confusing – it's dangerous.' She said only 32 per cent of products carry the HSR rating. 'Even the government's own 2019 review flagged serious flaws: no independent watchdog, no penalties for additives, and no consistency,' she aid. 'Six years later, nothing has changed.' When asked whether the problem lies in how the rating is calculated, or how it's communicated, Ms Sacher simply replied: 'Both.' 'The HSR scores food based only on nutrients like sugar, salt and added fibre, but it ignores how processed the food is, and what it's made from,' she said. 'Stars appear on the front of packs as a government-endorsed health symbol. 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The spokesperson said the Calculator balances positive nutrients with nutrients associated with risk factors for chronic disease, with the HSR for most products based on: total energy (kilojoules), saturated fat, sodium (salt) and total sugar content. 'Consuming too much of these is linked to overweight and obesity, some cancers, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. 'A high HSR does not mean that the food or beverage provides all of the essential nutrients that are required for a balanced and healthy diet or that the product should be eaten in large quantities, or often,' the spokesperson said. 'The HSR system does not take into consideration other real, claimed or potential health effects of particular ingredients, additives, products or processing methods,' they said. 'Neither does it consider other important nutrients. 'In Australia, food additives are approved only if it can be shown no harmful effects are likely to result from their use.' 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ABC News
7 hours ago
- ABC News
Jason Clare responds to shocking childcare allegations from Melbourne
It emerged on Thursday that accused child sex offender Joshua Brown may have worked at several childcare centres in Victoria longer than authorities originally thought. It means more parents now face the excruciating prospect that their children may be involved, and may be required to undergo health screening. On Tuesday, Brown was charged with more than 70 offences including sexual assault relating to eight alleged victims at a childcare centre in Melbourne's west. Authorities had also listed more than 20 other centres he'd worked at across the city. These allegations will now be tested in court. The latest allegations put pressure on the federal government to overhaul the regulation of childcare in Australia. Education Minister Jason Clare is the Minister responsible and he spoke to Sarah Ferguson.