Table 1: Summary of implementation considerations for Portion Size Working Group recommendations Area and Objectives Key Element(s) Actions Primary Outcomes Resourcing 1. Better Awareness: 1.1 Terminology Alignment - Adoption of agreed amount descriptors (serve, serving, portion) of foods for clearer communication of nutrition and dietary information and advice, and a shared understanding among stakeholders. Information defining the amount descriptors with recommendations for their use by industry and health professional in communications Consultation with stakeholders to secure buy-in through survey questions (additions to planned Healthy Food Partnership surveys) [complete] Development of ‘copy’ and production of an information sheet (flyer) detailing the agreed terms, examples and rationale for their use Distribution to key stakeholder organisations Healthy Food Partnership Branding Alignment of use and understanding of terms used to describe amounts of food between health professionals and in new and revised communications to, and by, stakeholders Resources from the Department of Health are required to develop ‘copy’ and production and distribution of the flyers 1. Better Awareness: 1.2 Consumers Outreach - Promoting mindfulness of appropriate amounts of foods selected & consumed at different eating occasions. Consumer communication program supported across stakeholder organisations Development of key messages about portion selection and mindful eating. This will require determining the appropriate portions to communicate. Preparation of resource material with key messages Dissemination to organisations to use key messages regarding servings and portions in their own communications Healthy Food Partnership Branding Consistent and aligned messages about the appropriate sizes of servings and portion choices disseminated by public health organisations Consistent and aligned messages supported by industry through their communications leveraging Healthy Food Partnership brand Consumers more conscious of the importance of sizes of servings and portions in supporting good diets, and good health Department of Health to support a group to develop key messages and commission development of communications materials Department of Health to seek funding for a communications campaign
2. Better Choices: 2.1 Industry Engagement - Promoting nutritional needs of consumer demographic as a central determinant of serving size labelling and availability Industry ‘best practice’ guidelines for determining appropriate sizes of servings in the packaged goods and food service sectors. Voluntary actions under four priority areas Development of voluntary targets for sizes of servings Develop size of serving labelling and availability principles and guidelines refined by product category and by consumer demographic based on agreed nutrition criteria Develop voluntary targets for sizes of servings for key discretionary food and drink categories Translate into practical advice for industry and publish (primarily Industry engagement program developed with key messages promoting the guidelines, targets and voluntary actions/pledges in the packaged food and food service sector Healthy Food Partnership Branding Guidance on healthier sizes of serving disseminated to industry stakeholders through Best Practice Guide and through voluntary targets Foodservice pledges include voluntary activities for sizes of servings Industry size of serving (both labelling and availability) in food service and retail settings is more aligned with consumer nutrition needs Department of Health to support convening of an industry working group with public health representation to develop a best practice guide Department of Health to support convening a working group to develop voluntary targets for sizes of servings Support needed to develop a ‘final’ document and disseminate and promote to industry 2. Better Choices: 2.2 Student Prize of the two innovative ideas: 1) App commercialised by industry. 2) Plate graphic program supported by Government. To be confirmed To be confirmed To be confirmed To be confirmed –
Consider how to undertake educative programs on serves, servings and portions, with appropriate guidance for consumers Terminology defined Consumer marketing campaign recommended Serves, servings and portions included as key principles in Education WG communication strategy Complete Attachments Attachment 1 – Relationship between servings, portions and energy intake (below) Attachment 2 – (web link) Attachment 3 – (web link) Attachment 4 – Program Logic (insert web link) Attachment 5 – Terminology Factsheet (below)
Table 2. Detailed information on the terms, definitions, application and recommendations of the Portion Size Working Group, June 2018. Consistent term Descriptive term Definition Application Portion Size Working Group Recommendations Portion Ideal portion: previous terms include portion pack, pack guidance and portion control. Portion selected: previous terms include ‘amount consumed at an eating occasion’ Dual term to describe the amount an individual selects, or is guided to select. Specifically: 1. the actual amount of food and drink selected by an individual at one eating occasion (meal or snack). 2. guidance on the amount of food and drink that could/should be selected by an individual at one eating occasion – based on their energy and nutrient needs (as per the Australian Dietary Guidelines). To note: these energy needs may be smaller or larger than the Australian Dietary Guidelines ‘standardised’ serve sizes’ and the ‘serving size’ declared on the nutrition information panel (NIP). Portion Guidance: refers to any measure or mechanism that assists with selecting a specific portion of a food or drink, e.g. household measure, marking/ guidance on pack. Education: “what your portion should be” Education on the size of portions can include comparison with the Australian Dietary Guidelines ‘serves’ and the ‘servings’ presented by food companies (e.g. on pack, or served in foodservice settings). The size of the portion will differ depending on the individual’s energy and nutrient requirements. Research: “what is your portion” Gathering information on actual intake, may make reference to food models to estimate actual amount selected or consumed (e.g. food models used in National Nutrition Survey). A communications campaign is recommendation which includes messages to: Define or explain what a portion is Promote selection of appropriately sized portions to personal needs Uses consistent terminology Influence community perceptions about the size of portions The Portion Size Working Group acknowledges: messages about healthier portions of food/drinks may not be an engaging message to the community. Messages may need to be positioned around other important community issues including: value for money, budget, minimising waste, health. additional work is required to clarify appropriately sized portions to communicate in a campaign. Recommended activities: Develop communications for dissemination (examples above). Clarify appropriate sizes of portions to communicate (i.e. for average adult/child).
Serving Product serving Or Pack serving Or Meal or snack served in foodservice setting Dual term to describe the amount a company selects or provides guidance on selecting. Specifically: 1. Product Labelling As defined in Australia and New Zealand Food Standards Code: an amount of a food or drink (single food item or combination of foods ingredients) which constitute one normal ‘serving’ according to a manufacturer’s directions (Food Standards Code, Standard 1.1.2, p9) 2. Foodservice settings As defined by the Healthy Food Partnership Portion Size Working Group: an amount of a food or drink (single food item or combination of foods ingredients) which is presented/served to a customer/consumer. Product labelling Mandatory term to describe the amount of a food/ drink listed in the nutrition information panel (NIP)/ food label, and is determined by the manufacturer. It should reflect a realistic amount of the product the person might normally consume on one eating occasion. Foodservice settings A serving would refer to the amount of a food/ drink served to a consumer (from which the consumer chooses to eat their preferred amount). Further policy work is recommended to provide guidance to: manufacturers on current and more realistic size of ‘servings’ - that may be ‘ranges’ (noting existing guidance on serving sizes does exist for some categories – e.g. beverages, chocolate/ confectionary – ‘industry agreed standardised servings’ – Health Star Rating (). develop guidance on healthy servings for commonly sold food and beverages in food service settings (i.e. voluntary serving size targets). This would enable the term ‘serving’ to be incorporated into strategies which promote healthy amounts of food and beverages. Recommended activities: Develop Industry Best Practice Guide to encourage consistency of serving size information, and portion size guidance Develop targets for the size of servings which encourage industry to offer healthier sized food and drinks