The Technical Advisory Group’s (TAG) role is to analyse and review the performance of the HSR Calculator and respond to technical issues and related matters referred to it by the Health Star Rating (HSR) Advisory Committee (HSRAC). Advice provided by the TAG will support the five year formal review of the HSR system.

The TAG consists of a tripartite (government, food industry, public health) independent group of experts with relevant technical skills.

Membership

  • Ms Elizabeth Flynn (TAG Chair) – Elizabeth is the Assistant Secretary, Preventive Health Policy Branch, Population Health and Sport Division, Department of Health, and is the Commonwealth representative on TAG.
  • Dr Greg Gambrill – Greg has worked in the food industry in senior technical positions for more than 30 years. His formal qualifications include a BSc, BA (Hons) and PhD in plant science with a particular focus on data analysis and modelling.
  • Ms Alexandra Jones – Alexandra is a public health lawyer with expertise in regulatory strategies to prevent diet-related disease.
  • Ms Megan Cobcroft – Megan has more than 20 years’ experience working as a dietitian/nutritionist in clinical, public health and food industry nutrition roles. In her current role, she has led the incorporation of the HSR system into healthy food and drink policies for school canteens and health facilities.
  • Ms Phillippa Hawthorne (NZ) – Phillippa has worked on front-of-pack labelling and its many iterations in the lead-up to the HSR implementation since the issue was first raised in the trans-Tasman setting. Phillippa has a background in food science, human nutrition and in social science.
  • Ms Renee Sobolewski – Renee is a senior nutritionist with over 13 years’ experience in the food regulatory environment. She currently manages the Australian Food Composition Program which is responsible for maintaining the national reference database on the nutrient content of Australian foods and the Nutrition Panel Calculator.
  • Dr Malcolm Riley – Malcolm has a strong interest in measurement of dietary intake, programs to improve dietary intake and public health more generally. He has a science degree and postgraduate qualification in dietetics, an honours degree in physical chemistry and a PhD in epidemiology.
  • Ms Kim Tikellis – Kim is an Advanced Accredited Practicing Dietitian with over 20 years food industry experience in nutrition.
  • Ms Wendy Watson – Wendy’s qualifications include a B App Sc (Chemistry), M App Sc (Nutrition). Wendy has considerable experience in undertaking strategic research and policy analysis on food policy issues including food labelling. She has led research projects and published extensively on food labelling, and led the development of position statements and submissions.

If stakeholders have queries about the five year review or the work undertaken by the TAG, please refer such issues to the HSRAC via the Front-of-Pack Labelling Secretariat at frontofpack@health.gov.au.

Conflict of Interest

At each TAG meeting, Members declare any real or perceived conflicts of interest to ensure transparency. The Conflict of Interest Register reflects all declarations made at meetings held to date.

Terms of Reference

PDF version: Health Star Rating Technical Advisory Group Terms of Reference (PDF 37 KB)
Word version: Health Star Rating Technical Advisory Group Terms of Reference (Word 31 KB)

Principles

An overarching principles document has been developed which will guide the TAG during the review of the HSR Calculator.

PDF version: Principles – TAG (PDF 252 KB)
Word version: Principles – TAG (Word 23 KB)