School Nutrition Guidelines Around Australia

Following a 2006 Coalition of Australian Governments' (COAG) meeting, Australia's state and territory governments each implemented school food and canteen guidelines. A national system is currently being developed and trialed by the National Healthy School Canteens Project.

Not all of the guidelines are mandatory, however they have become ‘best practice' for all schools.

The policies are based on the Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents and The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating.

Many policies have adopted a traffic light classification system in which foods and drinks are categorised as green, amber or red according to their nutritional value.

• Green foods are ‘everyday foods', such as fruit, vegetables, lean meats and grains.
• Amber foods provide some nutrients, but can be high in energy (such as a burger).
• The red category differs from state to state but generally includes food and drinks that are high in fat, sugar and sodium (salt), as well as soft drinks. Some states allow red items at certain times during the school year, whereas others have banned some or all red foods.

On this page:

• Australian Capital Territory
• New South Wales
• Northern Territory
• Queensland
• South Australia
• Tasmania
• Victoria
• Western Australia

Australian Capital Territory

Nourish – The Food in ACT Schools Guidelines (Nourish – The FACTS) is based on the Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents, and The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. Nourish – The FACTS provides guidelines on the provision of healthy foods and drinks, and how to create a healthy whole school environment.

Nourish – The FACTS is underpinned by the ACT Department of Education and Training School Canteen Policy which states that “Canteen operators and canteen staff will design menus and promote and provide food and beverages to support health and wellbeing”. The policy applies to ACT government schools.

The Department runs a School Canteen Accreditation program. It is not until the ‘gold’ level of accreditation that unhealthy items, such as confectionary, potato crisps and sweet cakes/slices are excluded from sale.

• ACT School Canteen Association

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New South Wales

Under the Fresh Tastes @ School - NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy food and drinks have been classified into a traffic light classification system.

The guidelines are mandatory for all NSW government schools. Red items can only be provided on two occasions per term, but all drinks in the red category are banned from sale at all times. It is recommend that the red food restrictions apply to other food settings, including “counter sales, contractors, special events (fundraising), classroom rewards and the sale of food and drinks in vending machines.”

• NSW ‘Healthy Kids’ School Canteen Association

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Northern Territory

The Department of Education and Training's Canteen, Nutrition and Healthy Eating Policy states which categories of food and drink are permitted and/or restricted in NT public school canteens. The Policy recommends foods and drinks that have received 'approval' by various canteen and health bodies, such as the NSW and Qld school canteen associations and the Heart Foundation ‘Tick’.

Confectionery, soft drinks, deep fried foods and sweet baked goods are only allowed for sale once per term for a whole school event, such as a school fete or theme day. These foods cannot be used for fundraising or classroom rewards.

Two documents support the policy:

• The Northern Territory School Canteen Guidelines, which is based on the Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents and The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating, and
• Tummy Rumbles – Guidelines for Remote Area Canteens, which provides nutrition advice for remote and rural NT school canteens, and is based on The Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Guide to Healthy Eating.

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Queensland

Under the Smart Choices - Healthy Food and Drink Supply Strategy food and drinks have been classified into a traffic light classification system. Red foods are only permitted twice per term. Soft drinks and high sugar drinks are also considered red items.

The strategy is mandatory in all QLD government school food environments, including tuckshops, vending machines, excursions, camps, fundraising, classroom rewards, school events, sports days and curriculum activities.

• The Qld Association of School Tuckshops

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South Australia

The Right Bite Food and Drink Supply Strategy is a traffic light menu planning system, developed from the Eat Well SA Healthy Eating Guidelines for Schools and Preschools. The strategy provides a guide for food provision, food handling and curriculum in all SA government schools and pre schools.

Under Right Bite, red food and drinks (including soft drinks and artificially sweetened drinks) are only allowed to be provided on two occasions per term, but not from the canteen.

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Tasmania

The Tasmanian School Canteen Handbook is not a policy as such, but provides recommendations on how schools can develop a policy on food and nutrition, incorporating all school settings (such as within the classroom).

The Handbook forms the basis of the Tasmanian School Canteen Association’s Cool Canteen Accreditation Program (Cool CAP). Within the Accreditation guidelines is a traffic light food labelling system, with the recommendation that red foods and drinks be banned from the menu. The menu must not have more red products that green and amber combined.

CoolCAP accreditation is available to any Tasmanian government or non-government school.

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Victoria

The ‘Go for your life' Healthy Canteen Kit – School Canteens and Other School Food Services Policy classifies foods and drinks into a traffic light classification system. All drinks in the red category are banned from sale in school canteens and vending machines at any time.

The policy applies to all Victorian government schools in ‘regular food provision’ environments, such as vending machines, school canteens and is encouraged for areas, such as school events, classroom rewards and fundraising.

The Kids - 'Go for your life' program awards primary schools and early childhood services which meet key criteria nutrition and physical activity criteria.

• Victorian School Canteen Association

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 Western Australia

The Healthy Food and Drink policy uses a traffic light system for foods and drinks in WA state schools. Unlike most states’ policies, any items that fall into the red category are banned from sale at all times, including soft drinks and artificially sweetened drinks.

The policy is mandatory in all WA state schools, in all areas where the principal is directly responsible for the supply of food and drinks, for example, school canteens, classroom rewards, school camps and excursions.

The WA School Canteen Association Canteen Accreditation Program (StarCAP) accredits schools based on their canteen sales figures. The accreditation program is open to all WA government and non-government schools (if they are members of the WA School Canteen Association).

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