APPENDICES
117
C History and timeline of Australian nutrition documents
The Commonwealth Advisory Council on Nutrition was formed in 1936 and became the Nutrition Committee
of the NHMRC in 1939, at the same time as a Nutrition unit was established in the then Commonwealth
Department of Health. Soon after, state and territory health departments set up similar nutrition committees
and have since had a role in providing nutrition information and education programs in Australia.
From the 1940s through to the 1970s the Commonwealth and the states and territories published pamphlets and
booklets to guide food selection and provide education tools, including the Five Food Group plan, which listed the
food groups ‘bread and other cereals’, ‘vegetables and fruit’, ‘meat and meat alternatives’, ‘milk and milk products’,
and ‘butter/table margarine’.
1938 – Tables of composition of Australian foods
First set of tables of composition of Australian foods, including data from both local and overseas sources for over
1,100 foods. It was revised and reprinted many times over the next decades.
1979–83 – Dietary guidelines for Australians
In response to an increase in nutritional problems related to overconsumption of food, in 1979 the Department of
Health developed eight Dietary Goals for Australians. These were modified to provide direct advice to members of
the community as Dietary guidelines for Australians, which were endorsed by the NHMRC in 1982.^750 It was noted
that these guidelines should be reviewed as further data became available on the nutritional status of Australian
and the relationships between diet and disease.^1033
1989 – Nutrient data table (NUTTAB)
The first electronic food composition data release (on diskette), as the first edition of the Nutrient Data Table for
use in Australia (NuTTAB), containing a combination of Australian and British data.^1034
1989–95 – Composition of foods, Australia (COFA)
The Composition of foods, Australia (COFA) series was released in seven volumes, containing the first compilation
of new Australian-sourced data for Australian foods from the analytical work of Greenfield and colleagues.
1991 – Recommended dietary intakes for use in Australia
The development of the recommended dietary intakes (RDIs) began in 1980 and the report was published
in 1991.^1035 The RDIs are derived from estimates of requirements for each age/sex category and incorporate
generous factors to accommodate variations in absorption and metabolism. They therefore apply to group
needs. RDIs exceed the actual nutrient requirements of practically all healthy persons and are not synonymous
with requirements.
1992 – Food and nutrition policy
The Australian Food and nutrition policy, endorsed in 1992,^31 aimed to improve the health of Australians and
reduce the burden of preventable diet-related death, illness and disability. The policy strategies were developed in
alignment with dietary guidelines and based on principles of good nutrition, ecological sustainability and equity.
1992 – Dietary guidelines for Australians
An expert panel was set up in 1989 by the Public Health Committee to review the existing dietary guidelines. In 1992,
the Dietary Guidelines for Australians were published by the NHMRC for use by healthy adults. They represented
the best consensus of scientific knowledge and public health advice available. A guideline to encourage and support
breastfeeding was included, as were specific guidelines on calcium and iron.
