In Australia, consumption of unhealthy, processed foods is a major contributor to excess population intake of energy, sodium, added sugar and saturated fat, which in turn contributes to excess weight, ill health and premature death. A range of studies have investigated the healthiness of food and drinks available in Australian supermarkets and fast food outlets.
Indicator | Result | Previous | Assessment* | What was measured? | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Packaged food |
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Proportion of packaged food and drinks classified as unhealthy ** |
52% |
52% |
Packaged food and drinks available in Australian supermarkets in 2023 compared with previous assessment in 2022 † |
The George Institute, FoodSwitch data 2022 and 2023 |
|
Proportion of packaged food and drinks with a Health Star Rating < 3.5 stars *** |
53% |
55% |
Packaged food and drinks available in Australian supermarkets in 2023 compared with previous assessment in 2022 † |
||
Proportion of packaged food and drinks that are ultra-processedˆ |
70% |
72% |
Packaged food and drinks available in Australian supermarkets in 2023 compared with previous assessment in 2022 † |
The George Institute, FoodSwitch data 2022 and 2023
|
|
Fast food |
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Proportion of foods available in major fast food chains with a Health Star Rating < 3.5 stars *** |
63% |
58% |
Foods available in Australian fast food outlets in 2021, compared with previous assessment in 2019 † |
The George Institute, FoodSwitch data 2019 and 2021 |
|
Healthy Food Partnership targetsˆˆ |
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Proportion of packaged foods (in each category) that meets the Healthy Food Partnership target for sodium: |
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– Plain cereal biscuits – Breakfast cereals (e.g. plain puffed, flaked) – Plain corn, rice and other ‘grain-cake’ biscuits
|
95% 87% 84% |
No data No data 74% |
Packaged food and beverages available in Australian supermarkets in 2023, compared with previous assessment in 2020 † |
The George Institute, FoodSwitch data 2023
|
|
– Cakes, muffins, slices – Plain savoury crackers and biscuits – Bread (e.g. loaf, rolls, bagels) – Processed cheeses – Potato snacks – Crumbed and battered meat and poultry – Soups – Pizza – Bacon – Ready Meals
|
72% 72% 61% 61% 55% 52% 50% 47% 43% |
65% 62% 42% 58% 40% 45% 49% 62% 27% No data |
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– Crumbed seafood – Processed deli meats |
29% 24% |
28% 19% |
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Proportion of packaged foods (in each category) that meets the Healthy Food Partnership reformulation target for saturated fat: |
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– Savoury pastries (wet) |
86% |
73% |
Packaged food and beverages available in Australian supermarkets in 2023, compared with previous assessment in 2020 † |
The George Institute, FoodSwitch data 2023
State of the Food Supply Australia 2020
|
|
– Savoury pastries (dry) – Pizza – Sausages
|
60% 58% 47% |
35% 56% 53%
|
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Proportion of packaged foods that meets the Healthy Food Partnership target for sugar |
|||||
– Breakfast cereals with fruit |
88% |
No data |
Packaged food and beverages available in Australian supermarkets in 2023 † |
The George Institute, FoodSwitch data 2023 |
|
– Sweetened yoghurt (dairy) – Muesli and Snack Bars – Breakfast cereals without fruit – Flavoured water, soda water and iced tea – Fruit Drinks – Flavoured milk (dairy) – Flavoured milk (dairy alternatives)
|
70% 69% 66% 63% 61% 60% 59% |
No data |
* Green = ‘Promotes health’; Amber = ‘Needs further improvement to promote health’; Red = ‘Unhealthy’. Refer to Indicator Assessment Criteria at the bottom of the page.
** The term ‘unhealthy foods’ refers to discretionary foods. The Australian Dietary Guidelines describes discretionary foods as foods and drinks not necessary to provide the nutrients the body needs, but that may add variety. Many discretionary foods are energy dense and high in saturated fats, added sugars and/or sodium. The recommendations are that discretionary foods can be consumed sometimes in small amounts by those who are physically active, but are not a necessary part of the diet.
*** The Health Star Rating (HSR) is a front-of-pack labelling system that rates the overall nutritional quality of packaged food and beverages, assigning a rating from ½ a star to 5 stars. The more stars, the healthier the choice between similar products. The HSR system is primarily designed for application to packaged foods.
ˆ Ultra-processed foods are formulations of ingredients, mostly of exclusive industrial use, typically created by series of industrial techniques and processes. There is a considerable and growing body of evidence indicating the links between ultra-processed foods and negative health outcomes.
ˆˆ The Australian Government’s Healthy Food Partnership is an initiative that brings together the Australian government, public health experts and the food industry to cooperatively tackle obesity and encourage healthy eating. The Healthy Food Partnership has set reformulation targets for the maximum sodium, sugar or saturated fat content for 36 priority food and drink categories. Currently reformulation targets apply to 80 percent of each product category by sales volume, with food manufacturers expected to show effort towards reformulating the remaining 20 percent of products.
† State of the Food Supply report is based on data from the top 20 manufacturers and retailers based on 2022 retail sales value share. Alcoholic beverages as well as food categories that do not contribute significantly to nutrient intake and where manufacturers are not required to display a Nutritional Information Panel were excluded.
Key Findings
- Over half of the food and drinks in Australia’s packaged food supply is unhealthy.
- No packaged food category currently meets nutrition targets set by the government-led Healthy Food Partnership˜.
- Most of the products made by major fast food chains are unhealthy and are high in sodium, sugar and/or saturated fat.
- Products within the same food category (eg. canned vegetables, hamburgers) often vary considerably in terms of their Health Star Rating and the amount of sugar, sodium and/or saturated fat they contain. This demonstrates there is capacity for manufacturers to make healthier versions of similar products.
˜ Current reformulation targets apply to 80 percent of each product category by sales volume, with food manufacturers expected to show effort towards reformulating the remaining 20 percent of products.
Key Recommendations
Current research highlights substantial opportunities for food and drink companies to reorient their product portfolios to improve population nutrition.
- Further reformulation work to reduce sodium, added sugar and saturated fat is required by manufacturers to meet the nutrition targets set by the government-led Healthy Food Partnership.
- In addition to reformulation, food and drink companies can change the ‘mix’ of products in their portfolio by introducing new products with a healthier nutritional profile.
- Supermarkets can use their significant power to improve the nutritional quality of food available to Australians by improving the nutrient composition of their own-brand products, and by encouraging other manufacturers to improve the healthiness of branded product ranges made available on their shelves.
- Fast food chains should set specific, measurable targets for the reduction of added sugar, saturated fat, sodium and kilojoule content across menu items. They should also commit to making healthier sides and drinks the default option as part of combination deals, particularly as part of children’s meals.
For more information
Journal Articles
- Crino M, Dunford E, Trieu, K, Webster J, Wu JY, Neal B, Sacks G, Vandevijvere S & Swinburn B (2018) ‘Measuring the healthiness of the packaged food supply in Australia’, Nutrients, 10(6).
Reports
- The George Institute for Global Health: FoodSwitch State of the Food Supply, a five year review, Australia 2023
- The George Institute for Global Health: FoodSwitch State of the Food Supply Australia 2022
- The George Institute for Global Health: FoodSwitch State of the Food Supply Australia 2021
- The George Institute for Global Health: FoodSwitch State of the Food Supply Australia 2020
- The George Institute for Global Health: FoodSwitch State of the Fast Food Supply Australia 2020
Indicator Assessment Criteria | |||
---|---|---|---|
Metric | |||
Proportion of packaged food and drinks classified as unhealthy (discretionary) |
≤ 20% |
21 – 40% |
> 40% |
Proportion of packaged food and drinks with a Health Star Rating <3.5 stars |
≤ 20% |
21 – 40% |
> 40% |
Proportion of packaged food and drinks that are ultra-processed |
≤ 20% |
21 – 40% |
> 40% |
Proportion of packaged foods (in each category) that meets the Healthy Food Partnership reformulation target |
≥ 80% |
40 – 79% |
< 40% |