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Iodine fortification

Iodine fortification Iodine is a naturally occurring mineral and an essential nutrient for life. It is found in the food we eat and the water we drink. Adequate intakes of dietary iodine by Australians, particularly females of child-bearing age and breast-feeding mothers is important for health and to reduce possible iodine-deficiency health problems such as impaired neurological function in babies and young children. Mandatory iodine fortification was implemented in Australia in 2009 through Standard 2.1.1 of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code which required the replacement of non-iodised salt with iodised salt for making all breads except organic bread and bread mixes for making bread at home. Mandatory iodine…

Published December 2023

Iodine requirements and sensitivities

Iodine requirements and sensitivities Some individuals are sensitive to high levels of iodine. These people are sensitive to both high levels of iodine in food and iodine used in x-ray procedures and iodine-based antiseptics. Iodine sensitive people only react to very high doses of iodine that far exceed the amount of iodine that people would receive from their normal diet, even with mandatory fortification. The addition of iodine to bread (mandatory iodine fortification) is unlikely to cause harm even in the majority of iodine sensitive individuals. Iodine sensitive individuals may be advised to avoid foods high in iodine such as kelp, seaweed and seafood which may contain hundreds of micrograms or several milligrams of iodine. In…

Published December 2023

Plant-based milk alternatives

Plant-based milk alternatives   (June 2016) Several beverages derived from cereals, legumes or nuts or a combination of these products are available on the market as dairy milk alternatives. These beverages are made from:

  • legumes such as soy 
  • cereals such as rice or oat 
  • nuts such as almond.
Are plant-based milk alternatives suitable for use as a complete milk replacement? Generally, plant-based milk alternatives don't have the same nutrient content as cow or goat milk. Milk generally contains higher levels of protein and a wider range of vitamins and minerals. Legume-based beverages, such as those made from soy, can contain added vitamins and minerals if they contain a similar level of protein to milk (at least 3%). Cereal, nut and seed-…

Published February 2024

Nutrition

Nutrition In this section

Regulatory nutrient reference values

Regulatory nutrient reference values (April 2018) Nutrient reference values (NRVs) indicate the daily amount of nutrients (energy, macro-nutrients, vitamins, minerals) required for good health, as well as an upper safe level of nutrient intake. The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the New Zealand Ministry of Health released a comprehensive set of NRVs for Australia and New Zealand in 2006. A further update of reference values for sodium and fluoride was published in 2017. The 2006 NRVs replaced the previous Recommended Dietary Intakes for Use in Australia (RDIs) which were published in 1991 and adopted by New Zealand. These RDIs together with other government recommendations, and certain United States ESADDIs (Estimated Safe and Adequate Daily Dietary Intakes) (1989)…

Published December 2023

Thiamin fortification

Thiamin fortification (June 2016) Standard 2.1.1 of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code requires mandatory fortification of wheat flour for making bread with thiamin. This requirement was first mandated in January 1991 to minimise the incidence of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, a potentially fatal neurological disorder caused by thiamin deficiency.  Thiamin fortification of bread had not been formally monitored on a national basis since the standard was implemented in 1991. As part of ongoing activities to monitor the impact of implementing the mandatory folic acid and iodine fortification standard, surveys of bread in 2010 and 2012 analysed the thiamin content of the samples as well as their folic acid and iodine content. The analyses indicated that the breads contained…

Published December 2023

Plant sterols

Plant sterols (June 2016) Plant sterols (phytosterols, phytostanols and their fatty acid esters) are cholesterol-like substances that occur naturally at low levels in fruits, vegetables, nuts and cereals. When eaten at the recommended amount, between 2 and 3 grams a day, plant sterols can reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in our blood. Most people obtain between 150 and 360 milligrams of plant sterols daily, depending on diet. Eating more than 3 grams per day does not reduce your LDL cholesterol any further. Use in food The Food Standards Code (Schedule 25 - Permitted Novel Foods) permits the use of plant sterols in margarine, low fat milks, low fat yoghurts and breakfast cereals, lower fat cheese and…

Published December 2023

How much sodium is in Australian foods?

How much sodium is in Australian foods? FSANZ monitors the levels of sodium in the Australian food supply because it's the sodium from salt in the diet that's linked to major health problems. We analysed sodium in monitoring programs in 2006 and 2008 and in 2009 in a range of packaged and take-away foods. In these surveys, the foods found to contain the highest levels of sodium per 100 g were: potato crisps, processed meat and meat products including sausages, meat pies, sausage rolls and chicken nuggets, cheese and pizza. Other high sodium foods include a range of sauces, spreads and condiments. These analysed values include sodium from salt, naturally occurring sodium and sodium from food additives. The food industry has been reducing salt in various products to reduce sodium levels.…

Published March 2024

How much sodium do Australians eat?

How much sodium do Australians eat? FSANZ estimates that Australians aged two years and older eat an average of 2,150 mg of sodium per day from an average of 5,500 mg of salt (5.5 g). About 80 per cent of this would be from processed foods and 20 per cent from salt used at the table or in home cooking. This estimate of sodium intake from salt does not include the smaller amounts of sodium coming from naturally occurring sodium or sodium-containing food additives. Because this is an average, there will be a lot of Australians who eat more than this and more than the recommended maximum intakes. Read more about sodium and salt Foods that contribute the most to Australians' salt consumption are bread and bread rolls, meat, poultry and game products, including processed meat, and cereal products…

Published December 2023

Trans fatty acids

Trans fatty acids (May 2017) Trans fatty acids (TFAs), occur both naturally in foods and can be formed or added to foods during manufacture. Naturally occurring TFAs are found in some animal products including butter, cheese and meat. Manufactured TFAs (also known as artificial TFAs) are formed when liquid vegetable oils are partially hydrogenated or 'hardened' during processing to create spreads such as margarine, cooking fats for deep-frying and shortening for baking. Some TFAs are also formed during high temperature cooking. Are trans fatty acids harmful? There is strong evidence that TFAs increase the amount of 'bad' low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in our blood, a major risk factor for coronary heart disease. Also, TFAs may decrease the levels of 'good' high-density lipoprotein (HDL)…

Published February 2024