Advocating for your health
Nutrition Australia, through National and State Divisions, undertakes a substantial amount of advocacy work with both Federal and State Governments, guiding bodies and health organisations. Here we share these.
Support for Food Systems Consensus Statement
June 2022
Life on Earth is imminently facing its biggest ever threats with multiple converging crises, including rapid global warming and abrupt climate change, the degradation of our planetary life-support systems and growing public health disparities. Our food system – the way we feed ourselves – is a major engine powering these crises. Read more…
Support for joint public heath and consumer letters on FSANZ Act Reforms
April 2022
It’s Time to Protect Victorian Children from Unhealthy Food and Drink Advertising near Schools and on Public Transport
March 2022
Nutrition for Older Australians Alliance (NOAA) pre-budgetary submission
February 2022
Nutrition Australia is part of an alliance of industry leaders, who seek to improve and protect the nutritional health and well-being of older Australians, (70 years and over). Members of the Nutrition for Older Australians Alliance (NOAA) include: Dietitians Australia, Nutrition Australia, The Maggie Beer Foundation, Meals on Wheels Australia, and, The Public Health Association of Australia. Please see the pre-budgetary submission put forward by this group.
35+ Australian health and medical organisations have called on the Prime Minister to scale up international climate commitments to protect the health and wellbeing of Australians and our Pacific Island neighbours.
November 2021
Media release: The George Institute for Global Health and the Climate and Health Alliance (CAHA) have partnered with 35+ health and medical groups in producing a joint letter to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, following the 26th UNFCCC Climate Change Conference (COP26). The letter calls on the Federal Government to scale up international climate commitments to protect the health and wellbeing of Australians and Pacific Island neighbours… Read more.
Nutrition Australia is a proud signatory to this letter.
Public health and consumer groups welcome the announcement of the Australian Dietary Guidelines Expert Committee and Governance Committee.
September 2021
View the letter from the Hon. Greg Hunt MP and Professor Anne Kelso AO, here.
June 2021
The Australian Government is redesigning the food regulatory system for Australia and New Zealand, setting the foundation for how food is made, sold and marketed long into the future. Public health must be front and centre to ensure the system is equipped to prevent diet-related disease, protect the health of the community, and promote a resilient population to support economic growth.
The last 18 months have demonstrated how important a healthy and resilient population is, but right now, proposed reforms favour food industry profits over protecting public health.
Read our open statement here: https://bit.ly/2TO5fbK
Australian Dietary Guidelines Review – Stakeholder Scoping Survey
March 2021
In March 2021, Nutrition Australia submitted a list of key topics that need to be updated and additional topics to be considered for inclusion in the reviewed guidelines.
Click here to read an overview of the survey response.
Review of the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991- Scoping paper for public consultation
November 2020
In 2020 NAQ Nutrition Training and Nutrition Australia submitted a combined response on Review of the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991- Scoping paper for public consultation.
The scoping paper asks for feedback on five key areas of FSANZ current structures: Objectives, Functions, Legislative processes and decision-making arrangements, Partnerships, and Operations. It also asks for feedback on 25 proposed reform areas.
A summarised version of the submission can be read here
Discussion paper – Proposal P1053: Food safety management tools for the food service and closely related retail sectors
March 2020
In 2020 NAQ Nutrition Training and Nutrition Australia submitted a combined response on Discussion paper – Proposal P1053: Food safety management tools for the food service and closely related retail sectors.
NAQ Nutrition Training and Nutrition Australia supported the discussion paper and offered the following recommendations with considerations and comments:
Recommendation 1 – Evidence of skills and knowledge (acquired through non-competency based mandatory training)
- Regulated food safety training for all food handlers
Recommendation 2 – Evidence of skills and knowledge (acquired through mandatory training with nationally agreed competencies)
- A certified FSS
Recommendation 3 – Evidence that key activities and processes are being controlled
- Evidence of essential control measures
To read the submission click here. For more information on the submission please contact [email protected]
Review of Food Standards Code chapters 3 and 4 – Food Safety Management Requirements
May 2019
In 2019 NAQ Nutrition Training and Nutrition Australia submitted a combined response on chapter 3 and 4 review of the Food Standards Code.
NAQ Nutrition Training and Nutrition Australia supported the review and offered the following recommendations with considerations and comments:
Recommendation 1 – Food Safety Supervisor Training
- 1a Mandatory Food Safety Supervisor Training for Food Safety Supervisors
- 1b Consistency of requirements for food safety refresher training nationally
Recommendation 2 – 3.2 Codex General Principals for Food Hygiene
- Mandatory training for all Food Handlers
Comment – Section 3.3 – High Risk Horticulture
- High risk horticulture use with vulnerable populations – specifically rockmelon use in childcare and aged care facilities – need for consistency of recommendations nationally
To read the submission click here. For more information on the submission please contact [email protected]
Call for new National Nutrition Policy
March 2019
It is time for the Australian Government to take charge of the nutritional health of our nation and update the 1992 National Nutrition Policy.
In 2017, Nutrition Australia, the Dietitians Association of Australia, the Public Health Association of Australia and the National Heart Foundation, released a joint statement entitled “Towards a National Nutrition Policy for Australia”. This call to action statement aimed to raise awareness of the importance of nutrition and the benefits of a new National Nutrition Policy.
Last month the Dietitians Association of Australia released a new report titled, “Nourish not Neglect: Putting health on our nation’s table”, which outlines the steps needed to make a new National Nutrition Policy a reality.
What can you do to help drive the agenda for a new National Nutrition Policy?
Get in touch with your Federal Member and encourage them to call for a National Nutrition Policy in Parliament. Your Federal Member is elected by the community and is your representative, so it’s their job to listen!
Simply download our letter template that you can use to post or email your Federal Member of Parliament. Click here to download letter template.
Click here to look up your Federal Member of Parliament.
Inquiry into the obesity epidemic in Australia
July 2018
Nutrition Australia’s Submission is Number 61. You can view our submission through the government submissions here.
Kilojoule labelling for fast food outlets
March 2018
Nutrition Australia submitted a response to the stakeholder consultation re: Kilojoule labelling for fast food outlets.
Purpose to facilitate stakeholder consultation with industry, public health and consumer organisations, and relevant professional associations to assist with the review of the effectiveness of the fast food menu labelling schemes which have been introduced.
Community education regarding kilojoule information and its relationship with healthy food choices is required to ensure such information is used effectively. Nutrition Australia supports the availability of nutrition information for consumers – either via in-store brochures/posters and/or online.
Nutrition Australia supported “Parents call for sugary Christmas truck to be scrapped” open letter to Coca-Cola
December 2017
A collaboration of health bodies, angered by the arrival of the Coke Christmas Truck on Australian shores, have joined forces in an open letter to Coca-Cola and The Salvation Army. The collaboration, led by Parents’ Voice, is particularly disappointed by Coca-Cola’s decision to visit Tamworth. As with much of regional Australia, Tamworth has high levels of overweight and obese Australians, with 73.9% of adults in the region either overweight or obese.
Nutrition Australia united with 35 leading community, public health, medical and academic groups to launch #TippingTheScales.
September 2017
A ground-breaking 8-point action plan, outlining eight clear, practical, evidence-based actions the Australian Federal Government must take to reduce the enormous strain excess weight and poor diets are having on the nation’s physical and economic health.
Led by the Obesity Policy Coalition and Deakin University Global Obesity Centre, Tipping the Scales draws on national and international recommendations to highlight where action is required.
News item: Tipping the Scales: We must halt obesity to save Australian lives
Nutrition Australia submitted a response to the Health Star Rating (HSR) Advisory Committee’s five year review of the system.
August 2017
Nutrition Australia considers the HSR has considerable potential as a successful public health intervention if:
- Foods and drinks are scored in a way that aligns with the Australian Dietary Guidelines by scoring whole and minimally-processed foods from the five core food groups, higher than foods and drinks which are not recommended for regular consumption
- The HSR was made mandatory, and for all packaged food and drink items including fresh foods (e.g, fruits, vegetables and meats), and pre-made items, such as salads and sandwiches
- The score could be used to judge the relative healthiness of items across food categories, not just within specific categories.
In addition, we made recommendations regarding, the need for greater consumer education about the HSR system, and the governance of the HSR system including the role of the food industry.
News item: Nutrition Australia submission to the Health Star Rating five year review
Nutrition Australia’s Joint Policy Statement: Towards a National Nutrition Policy for Australia and Supporting document for the Joint Position Statement: Towards a National Nutrition Policy for Australia
February 2017
The Public Health Association of Australia, the National Heart Foundation of Australia, the Dietitians Association of Australia and Nutrition Australia are calling for the Australian Government to develop a new National Nutrition Policy. The old 1992 policy urgently needs updating and expanding so it aligns with recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Steering Committee on Nutrition (UNSCN) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Diet related diseases are most prevalent among the very young, the very old, those living in remote areas, many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, those in culturally and linguistically diverse groups, and in lower socioeconomic groups. We urgently need to address these major risk factors for the health and productivity of all Australians.
