EAT FOR HEALTH Australian Dietary Guidelines

EAT FOR HEALTH – AusTRALiAn diETARy guidELinEs

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Guideline 3

Infants

FSANZ sets maximum limits for the sodium content of commercially prepared infant foods such as rusks, biscuits

and other ready-to-eat foods, and prohibits the addition of salt to fruit-based foods, fruit drinks and vegetable

juices.^755 These restrictions are needed because infants have a lower renal capacity than older children and adults.

Parents and carers who are introducing infants to solid foods should be advised to minimise the infant’s sodium

intake. This means preparing homemade infant foods without salt or ingredients that are high in salt or sodium,

and minimising infants’ intake of other processed foods that are high in sodium.

Children

For children with average energy needs, the dietary patterns in the Food Modelling System^9 contain up to 50%

less sodium than the average sodium intakes reported in the 2007 Australian National Children’s Nutrition and

Physical Activity Survey.^12

Older people

Taste perception decreases with age and can be a factor in decreased food intake and malnutrition. For a chronically

ill older person who has hypertension, clinicians need to weigh up the benefit of adding salt to food to improve

flavour (with improved intake and quality of life, and reduced risk of malnutrition) against the risks of hypertension

and its management. For chronically ill older people who do not have hypertension, salt intake can be determined

by personal preference and maintaining food intake is a priority.

3.3 Limit intake of foods and drinks containing added sugars

3.3.1 Setting the scene

Sugars are carbohydrates – examples include fructose, glucose, lactose and sucrose. When sugars occur naturally

in foods such as fruit, vegetables and dairy products, they are referred to as intrinsic sugars. However, the major

source of sugar in the Australian diet is sucrose from sugar cane that is added to foods and is termed extrinsic

sugar. Sucrose is widely used in processed foods and drinks as a sweetener and also plays a role as a flavour

enhancer and preservative.

Sugars provide a readily absorbed source of energy, but added sugars can increase the energy content of the diet

while diluting its nutrient density. Dietary modelling illustrates that nutrient density may also be compromised by

a high intake of added sugars and the Total Diet does not allow for excess amounts of foods or drinks with added

sugars.^9 At any given level of energy intake, as the proportion of added sugars in the diet increases, the nutrient

density will fall.^756 This was quantified in a recent analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

(NHANES) data (2003–2006) which noted that intake of essential nutrients was less with each 5% increase in

added sugars above 5–10% of energy.^757

Sugars are a factor in dental caries and diets high in added sugars are also associated with some adverse health

outcomes. Sugar-sweetened drinks (sugar-sweetened soft drinks and cordials, fruit drinks, vitamin waters, energy

and sports drinks) are the largest source of sugars in the Australian diet, with consumption highest in adolescents

and children.^45 New evidence emphasises the relevance of sugar-sweetened drinks to the development of excess

weight (see Chapter 1).

Dental caries are a significant public health problem in Australia. In 2007–08, $6.1 billion was spent on total dental

services in Australia, representing 6.2% of all health expenditure.^758 In severe cases, dental caries can cause loss

of teeth and pain that may reduce dietary intake and compromise nutritional status.

Fructose and/or high fructose corn syrups are commonly used as a sweetener in the uS. It should be noted that

these are not commonly used in the Australian food supply.