Mumble Peg owner Trevor Roberts of the Narromine district said he felt "totally let down" by a decision to drop pure fruit and vegetable juices with no added sugar from five stars down to as low as 2 stars.

The same review of the health star rating system gives diet cola 3.5 stars.

The decision was made on Friday at a meeting of the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation, which is made up of state and territory ministers responsible for food and chaired by Senator Richard Colbeck.

Federal agriculture minister David Littleproud had in November proposed a minimum four-star rating for pure fruit and veggie juices but on Friday the forum proceeded with the more drastic changes first mooted eight months ago.

"The forum noted the system adequately reflects the variation in sugar content for juices which is important for consumers in assisting in their choice of beverages," the forum communique dated February 12 said.

Mr Roberts, a member of Citrus Australia and of the Australian Juice committee, said the industry had been making its case for months but "basically got nowhere" and felt "forgotten".

"Totally let down, totally disappointed, basically gutted by the way the government is thinking to put fizzy drinks ahead of good quality, fresh fruit juices," he said.

"...to be able to put a synthetic artificial fizzy drink healthier than a good fruit or vegetable drink, with all the benefits that come with fruit and vegetables.

"They talk about getting people to eat more, and then they say fizzy drinks are better, drink a glass of fizzy drink when you get up in the morning."

The producer said while it was called a health star rating, the system had only taken sugar into account.

Having grown table oranges for Sydney markets for decades, in more recent years Mr Roberts and his sons have added to the operation with the launch of Mumble Peg Orange Juice, sold at cafes, takeaway shops and supermarkets at Dubbo and across NSW and the ACT.

Mr Roberts said in the next 12 months they would find out what impacts the health star rating decision would have on the industry.

He said juice markets were probably at least 30 per cent of citrus growers' income, and some were 100 per cent reliant on juice sales because they only grew juicing varieties.

The orchardist with a passion for citrus wants consumers to know orange juice is fresh and full of "vitamin C and folate and pulp and other goodies".

"Whereas you take a fizzy drink, it's artificial, it's sweetened artificially, there's not one drop in there that's good for you," Mr Roberts said.

"That's all I can say, please remember that you need your fruit and vegetables, it's the healthiest thing you can consume, and by doing so you help your local businesses, and by doing that you help your local communities."

Mr Littleproud slammed the forum's decision, which he said went through with the support of Queensland, Northern Territory, ACT and Victoria.

NSW Farmers' Association has expressed alarm at the forum's decision, with president James Jackson saying it was crushing for fruit and vegetable growers.

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