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Australian Food Super vs Hostplus

Compare what each fund offers, then choose investment options to put their published costs and returns side by side.

By SuperGuru Group · Research checked 11 September 2026 · Historical APRA figures to 30 June 2026

Australian Food Super

Industry fund

Australian Food Super is the current name of AMIST Super. It has meat-industry roots and is now open to everyone.

Membership

Anyone can join, subject to product rules. People can remain members when they leave the meat industry.

Hostplus

Industry fund

Hostplus has a broad menu spanning active diversified portfolios, indexed options, socially responsible options and Choiceplus direct investments.

Membership

Membership is generally available to people who meet Australian residence, tax residence or eligible-employment conditions. Product and insurance eligibility still apply.

Compare fees and investment returns

Choose the actual investment pathway for each account. For lifecycle products, select the named stage relevant to you. No stage is selected automatically.

APRA product data to 30 June 2026
MeasureMySuperHostplus MySuper
Return basisMySuper net return after administration costs, $50,000 representative memberMySuper net return after administration costs, $50,000 representative member
3-year return, per year6.77%9.48%
5-year return, per year6.02%7.46%
7-year return, per year6.52%7.89%
10-year return, per year7.14%8.70%
APRA strategic growth allocation68.25%80.35%
Reported total fees, net of tax, at $50,000$440 a year (0.88%)$655 a year (1.31%)
Administration and advice costs, net of tax (included in total)$125 a year$120 a year
2026 performance testPassPass
New-member status at reporting dateCheck the current product eligibility rulesCheck the current product eligibility rules

Reading these two options

At $50,000, the reported annual total-cost difference is $215. Australian Food Super's selected reporting pathway has the lower reported cost on this measure. The figures cover the year to June 2026; current prices, insurance and separately charged advice can change the comparison.

The growth allocations are 68.25% and 80.35%. A return gap can reflect different exposure to growth assets, and similar headline allocations can still contain different investments.

A performance-test pass is a benchmark result for the tested product or pathway. It is not an endorsement or a guarantee of future performance.

Source: APRA Comprehensive Product Performance Package 2026, published 28 August 2026. Fees reflect the reporting year to 30 June 2026, are net of tax, use standard arrangements and exclude member-activity fees. Dollar figures are rounded. They are not a current quote. Check the latest PDS for changes, insurance premiums and any separately charged advice.

Returns are annualised historical results. Different return bases, risk levels and periods cannot be treated as interchangeable. MySuper net returns use a $50,000 representative balance even when you change the fee balance. A lifecycle stage return does not track a person moving between stages. Missing figures mean not reported, not zero. Past returns do not predict future returns. Read our method and APRA's definitions.

How the products differ

Australian Food Super and Hostplus: product features and conditions
What to compareAustralian Food SuperHostplus
Membership and access

Anyone can join, subject to product rules. People can remain members when they leave the meat industry.

Sources123

Membership is generally available to people who meet Australian residence, tax residence or eligible-employment conditions. Product and insurance eligibility still apply.

Sources6
Accounts and products

Superannuation and pension products.

Sources123

Hostplus super, Pension and Transition to Retirement products.

Hostplus super

Hostplus Pension

Hostplus Transition to Retirement

Choiceplus direct investment option

CPIplus pension investment option

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Investment choices

The fund has MySuper and Choice investments. Pension members can access the Choice menu but not the MySuper option.

Sources123

Balanced

The menu includes diversified active and indexed options, sector investments and socially responsible options. Choiceplus allows eligible members to buy selected ASX 300 shares, ETFs, listed investment companies and term deposits. The low investment cost of an indexed option should not be confused with the price of the default Balanced option.

Sources12
Insurance

Members can opt in to life, TPD and income protection cover. Check eligibility and the current insurer documents, especially for manual work or changing employment.

Sources123

Eligible members can receive default death and TPD insurance. Hostplus tells members to check their current cover and cost in the account and review whether the amount meets their needs. Premiums reduce the balance left for retirement.

Sources4
Retirement income

Australian Food Super Pension provides an account-based income product. Compare its fee and investment documents separately from accumulation super.

Sources123

Hostplus has Pension and Transition to Retirement accounts. Pension members can use Choiceplus and CPIplus, but those two options are not available in the TTR account. CPIplus aims for a predetermined return above inflation for a stated return period; its terms need separate reading.

Sources25
Advice and support

The fund has engaged Retire360 to provide advice. Confirm which assistance is included and what a more detailed personal plan costs.

Sources123

Hostplus offers access to financial planners and identifies separate advice costs and eligibility conditions for services such as SuperSmart. Ask what is covered in the membership fee and what requires an additional payment.

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Fee details to check

Use the current product disclosure and member guide for the option and account type. Include insurance premiums in a personal comparison.

Sources123

Hostplus publishes a cost-of-product figure for each option. Use that full figure and its assumptions, then account for insurance and direct-investment costs. Its investment costs are estimates based on prior experience; a very low indexed investment fee is not the total account charge.

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Comparing investment performance

Compare the published MySuper or Choice option over identical dates and distinguish pension from accumulation results.

Sources123

Compare the exact portfolio and asset allocation. Hostplus's pension option pages publish returns net of investment fees and costs, with administration and other fees still applying. A pension return should not be placed next to a taxed accumulation return without explanation.

Show Balanced and Indexed Balanced as separate options.

Avoid ranking the whole fund using the cheapest investment option's fee.

Sources2

THE SUPERGURU VIEW

Our take on Australian Food Super

Editorial assessment

Worth comparing for food-industry workers who want to investigate occupation-specific insurance and a conventional super-and-pension offering.

What deserves a closer look

  • AMIST is an old name for the same offering, not another current competing fund.
  • Do not confuse it with Meat Employees' Industry Superannuation Fund, which is a different scheme.

Sources123

Based on the cited product features. These are general reasons to investigate the fund, not a personal recommendation. Supporting sources.

THE SUPERGURU VIEW

Our take on Hostplus

Editorial assessment

Hostplus is particularly useful when the question is how much investment choice you want. Its indexed range gives cost-conscious members something concrete to compare, while Choiceplus serves a more involved investor. Check the default separately; the existence of a low-cost option does not mean you are invested in it.

Who might put it on their shortlist

  • People building a shortlist of indexed super portfolios.
  • Members who want direct listed investments without establishing an SMSF.
  • Retirees comparing ordinary diversified investments with a separately structured inflation-linked option.

What deserves a closer look

  • Choiceplus adds trading decisions, restrictions and costs.
  • Options with similar names can have different growth-asset weights.
  • CPIplus is an investment option with its own provider and product risks; its return target should not be presented as a government-guaranteed deposit rate.
  • Choiceplus and CPIplus are unavailable in the TTR product.

Sources25

Based on the cited product features. These are general reasons to investigate the fund, not a personal recommendation. Supporting sources.

Before choosing between Australian Food Super and Hostplus

Use the membership rules to establish which accounts are available to you. Then compare the total price of the investment option and cover you need. A lower fee or higher historical return alone does not tell you which fund is suitable.

Ask both funds to confirm insurance acceptance, exclusions, waiting periods and whether cover would change when you leave your employer. Obtain advice before giving up a defined benefit or an insurance policy you may not be able to replace. ASIC Moneysmart explains the comparison checks.

Read the full Australian Food Super profile · Read the full Hostplus profile · Choose another comparison