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Aldi is said to stock some of the nation’s most unhealthy foods according to a new study.

Researchers at the George Institute for Global Health and the Global Obesity Centre at Deakin University have found Woolworths’ own-brand range has the highest average health star rating of 3.2 stars, followed by Coles, Aldi and IGA, which got 2.6 stars.

They found A2 Dairy, Sanitarium and Nudie Foods were the healthiest, with an average rating of more than four stars, while the wost were Red Bull, Frucor, Mondelez (which owns Oreo) and Bundaberg Brewed Drinks, which averaged 1.3 stars.

They found Aldi had the highest proportion of discretionary foods on the shelves and its own-brand products were the most “ultra-processed”, relying heavily on sugar, oils, fats, salt, anti-oxidants, stabilisers and preservatives.

“We’re talking about differences in salt, saturated fat and sugar content,” Associate Professor Gary Sacks from Deakin University said. “On average, if you were to buy home brands products from Woolworths, those products are likely to be quite a bit healthier than those from IGA.”

The new report, FoodSwitch: The State of the Food Supply, shows that, between 2017 and 2018, Woolworths maintained its ranking as the healthiest supermarket, while IGA’s ranking slipped from second to fourth.

Are you surprised by the result?

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  • My shopping is mostly at Coles, A little at Woolies if I am in the area, a very small amount at IGA and Aldi is too far away for me to bother with.

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  • Well I love Aldi – but I never buy food from there! Just the special buys!

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  • People know those foods aren’t healthy they will buy them regardless and supermarkets will stock what sells.

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  • Not surprised about Aldi being low rating, but yes surprised at IGA – the IGA I purchase from has so much fresh food and a better range of Aust. frozen goods and they will get in Luv-A-Duck fresh produce for me that I cannot buy elsewhere. Sorry to hear that about them

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  • Depends on what one buys. Aldi’s is cheaper for fresh fruit & vegetables and good for frozen veggies too.

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  • wow, everyone’s like “Aldi is better on groceries, save more than at other stores” Yeah great, except how unhealthy it is to shop there. I’d rather woolies which seems the healthier store to shop at plus rewards program so get points there and the specials and everyday low prices are great.

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  • Wow, really? I am surprised at this result

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  • I’m a bit surprised by this. I thought Aldi had a better ratio of ‘Made in Australia’, which is one of the things I look for on a label. If you shop the fringe of the store though, regardless of which supermarket, your trolley will be healthier at the checkout by avoiding impulse buys in the processed foods aisles.

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  • I wouldn’t have had the faintest idea to be honest but I am also glad I shop at Woolies.

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  • Glad I shop at Woolies then.

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  • Makes me feel even better for shopping at Woolworths. They have cheap prices and healthiest food. Who’d have thought

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  • I shop there only for fresh food, the snacks are often higher in additives

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  • Wow! That’s an interesting study to have been done. Thanks for sharing.

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  • Not surprised how else can they keep their prices cheaper, by putting in fillers and cheap ingredients into their products. The health star rating cannot be trusted either, the only healthy food is fresh wholefoods unprocessed and not in a packet.

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  • I consider the star ratings are often very misleading. A lot of the food contains high salt or sugar levels. fats and carbohydrates are high in some products. I read the ingredients and nutritional values, not the star ratings

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