Comparing food and nutrient collections over time

The ABS has conducted three major national nutrition surveys:

• National Nutrition Survey 1995
• Australian Health Survey (AHS) 2011–13
• Intergenerational Health and Mental Health Study (IHMHS) 2023.

In the 1995 collection, information was collected for the general population. However, in 2011–13 and 2023, surveys were run for the general population and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 

These surveys help track dietary information over time, and the ABS expects users will compare them to understand changes over time.

Each survey collected cross-sectional information for people aged 2 years and over, across all seasons of the year, to account for seasonal variation in the food supply and dietary patterns. Each survey used:

• 24-hour recall method to record food and supplement intake over 1 or 2 days
• short questions to collect additional dietary information.

When comparing results from different ABS collections, it’s important to consider the factors that may impact the comparability. Differences seen across time may reflect actual changes in dietary habits or the food supply, but they can also result from changes to data collection methods, coding systems, analysis techniques and food classification systems.

While all surveys used a similar approach – randomly selecting participants and using 24-hour multi-pass recall methods – data collection methods have evolved with technology:

National Nutrition Survey 1995

• Conducted face to face using paper forms and a food booklet
• 10% of respondents completed a Day 2 recall
• Foods were manually coded by ABS with input from Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).

National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (NNPAS) 2011–12 and National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (NATSINPAS) 2012–13 (AHS 2011–13)

• Conducted face to face by ABS interviewers using the Automated multiple-pass method (AMPM) with a food booklet
• 64% of respondents completed a Day 2 recall via telephone interview
• About 70% of items were automatically coded, the remaining were coded by ABS with input from FSANZ.

NNPAS 2023 and NATSINPAS 2023 (IHMHS 2023)

• Conducted face to face by ABS interviewers using Intake24, with inbuilt food images or graphics
• 84% of respondents completed a Day 2 recall via web form or face-to-face
• Most foods were coded by respondents and interviewers during interviews; search-term matches were reviewed by ABS with FSANZ input.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were not required to complete a Day 2 recall in the NATSINPAS 2023.

A summary of the main content changes applied in NNPAS 2023 compared with the NNPAS 2011–12 is given in the NNPAS 2023 methodology.

As different methods for estimating food and nutrition intakes were used in each of the surveys, data from these topics should be compared with caution across time. Similarly, use caution when comparing these surveys with other studies using a different method of data collection to capture dietary information.

Under-reporting of food, beverage and supplement intakes is considered by ABS prior to publishing results. The level of under-reporting and reason for it may change with each nutrition survey, so the food and nutrient intake data should be interpreted with care. For more information, see the NNPAS 2023 methodology and the NATSINPAS 2023 methodology.

The types of food and supplements consumed have changed over time. For each national survey, the AUSNUT food and dietary supplement database is updated to match the foods, beverages and dietary supplements respondents report. There are changes in the individual foods and dietary supplements and in their nutrient profiles for AUSNUT 2023 compared to previous versions (AUSNUT 1995 and AUSNUT 2011–13). These changes happened because:

• new food and dietary supplements became available
• nutrient data for some food and supplements were updated
• respondents reported their food differently
• foods and dietary supplements were grouped differently within the classification
• a new dietary recall tool and food list was used
• foods were coded differently to the classification. 

For the 2023 surveys, there were fewer foods listed, with less specificity for some food groups. Some food groups have expanded in the food supply resulting in new foods being added. Examples of changes include:

• less detail about cooking fats or how meat was trimmed
• fruit and vegetable drinks listed separately from juice at the sub-major level
• some types of iced versus uniced cakes were combined
• fewer options for pizza bases, sauces and oils
• some foods were removed or added in categories like fish, seafood, fruit and milk products
• a new sub-major category for de-alcoholised drinks (e.g. no alcohol wine)
• new foods with very low energy, reduced sugar and/or added protein. 

Care should be taken when comparing food consumption patterns and nutrient intakes over time. Concordance files for AUSNUT code changes for the 1995 to 2011–13 surveys, and for the 2011–13 to 2023 surveys are available on the FSANZ website. These should be used for comparative purposes.

Discretionary food flag in the AHS 2011–13

In the NNPAS 2011–12 and NATSINPAS 2012–13, all foods were assigned an 8-digit code from the AUSNUT 2011–13 food classification system. The discretionary food flag was assigned primarily at the 5-digit level (minor food group), with some exceptions at the 8-digit level, such as for breakfast cereals. 

Flagging decisions were made by the ABS, in consultation with the then Department of Health and nutrition experts, using the following sources:

• 2013 Australian Dietary Guidelines (ADG) (NHMRC 2013a, 2013b; Eat for Health 2013)
• AUSNUT 2011–13
• 2009 Modelling document used in developing the ADG, referencing the National Nutrition Survey 1995 and the AUSNUT 1995 database.

Discretionary food flag in the NNPAS 2023 and NATSINPAS 2023

In the 2023 surveys, all foods were again assigned an 8-digit code but this time the discretionary food flag was applied exclusively at the 8-digit level.

The ABS collaborated with the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, the National Health and Medical Research Council and nutrition experts, to refresh the principles and criteria for flagging, using updated sources:

• 2013 ADG and supporting documents (NHMRC 2013a, 2013b; Eat for Health 2013)
• AUSNUT 2023
• National Healthy Schools Canteen Guidelines (DoH 2013)
• Department of Health, Disability and Aged Care Food Reformulation Program: Food categories and reformulation targets, (DHAC 2022)
• International dietary guidelines from Canada, England, New Zealand and the United States of America (PHE 2016; Health Canada 2018a, 2018b, 2018c; MoH NZ 2020; USDA & USDHHS 2020; WHO 2018, 2020).

Feedback from stakeholders on the 2011-13 discretionary food list was also considered. Notably, the term ‘discretionary foods’ is not commonly used in the overseas guidelines, although some, such as England’s 2016 EatWell Guide, do provide nutrient criteria for identifying foods higher in saturated fats, sugars and/or salt (sodium) (PHE 2016). 

Impact of changes in the criteria for discretionary foods

Most foods in AUSNUT 2023 kept the same discretionary status using the refreshed principles. Only 205 out of 3536 foods (6%) were updated using the refreshed criteria. 

Discretionary status may have changed since the previous survey due to changes in nutrient profiles over time, for example, due to use of mono-or polyunsaturated fats rather than saturated fats in a food’s preparation. 

Application of criteria at the 8-digit food level has led to changes for some foods as to whether they have been flagged as discretionary or not in AUSNUT 2023 compared to AUSNUT 2011-13, where the discretionary food flag was usually applied at the broader 5-digit level minor food subgroup level. For example, all dips were previously flagged as discretionary, but in 2023 some vegetable-based dips, like hummus, are now flagged as non-discretionary. Cream cheese or sour cream-based dips remain discretionary. Similarly, all hot potato chips were flagged at the 5-digit level as discretionary in AUSNUT 2011–13, but some products were considered non-discretionary when the saturated fat and trans-fat criterion was applied at the 8-digit level in 2023.  

Other changes may have occurred due to changes in nutrient criteria and the scope of foods to which they are applied.

Most changes to the flag occurred in:

• Cereal-based products and in some mixed dishes containing cereal ingredients (e.g. crumbed or battered meat, fish and vegetables) due to broader application of the saturated and trans-fat criterion.
• Milk and products and dairy alternatives categories where new calcium and sugar criteria were applied. 

In total, 31% of AUSNUT 8-digit foods were flagged as discretionary in AUSNUT 2023 compared with 31% of foods using the 2011–13 criteria. See the proportion of foods flagged as discretionary within each major food group using the old and refreshed criteria in the table below.

The age groups for reporting food and nutrient intakes from the NNPAS 2023 and NATSINPAS 2023 have changed, following a recent decision by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (DHDA) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to better align with pre-school, primary school, high school years, and to define adults as 18 years and over. The following age groups are used in data downloads:

• 2–4 years
• 5–11 years
• 12–17 years
• 18–29 years
• 30–49 years
• 50–64 years
• 65–74 years
• 75 years and over.

Time series data published by the ABS will present food and nutrient results from previous nutrition surveys using the new age groups for comparative purposes, where appropriate.

Weighted NRVs for new age groups

For the purposes of reporting survey estimates, re-derived weighted Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) and/or Upper Level of Intake (UL) for nutrients are provided below for the new age groups. Weighted NRVs were derived for males and females separately where the original age groups were separated by sex. In most cases the weighted EAR and UL values for boys and girls aged 2-4 years and 5-11 years are the same. In this publication the weighted EALs and ULs for the new age groups are presented alongside Day 1 nutrient intakes where relevant to provide context for the results. In general, it is not appropriate to compare mean nutrient intakes to an Adequate Intake (AI) based on median intakes of healthy populations, AIs are not presented alongside nutrient intakes in this publication.  Single day nutrient intakes should not be used to assess population nutrient deficiency or excess, since NRVs are set for age groups that cover a longer period of several years or a life stage e.g. for a female who is pregnant and/or lactating.

Department of Health (DoH) (2013), National Healthy Schools Canteen – Guidelines for healthy foods and drinks supplied in school canteens, DoH, accessed 25/07/2025.

Department of Health and Aged Care (DHAC) (2022), Partnership Reformulation Program – Summary of food categories and reformulation targets, DHAC, accessed 25/07/2025.

Eat for Health (2013), Eat for Health Dietary Guidelines Summary, National Health and Medical Research Council in conjunction with the Department of Health and Ageing, accessed 25/07/2025.

Health New Zealand (2020), Eating and activity guidelines for adults, updated 2020, Health New Zealand, accessed 25/07/2025.

National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) (2013a), Australian Dietary Guidelines, NHMRC, accessed 25/07/2025.

National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) (2013b), Eat for Health – Educators guide, NHMRC in conjunction with the Department of Health and Ageing, accessed 25/07/2025.

Public Health England (PHE) (2016), The Eatwell Guide, National Health Service, accessed 25/07/2025.

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and United States Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) (2020), Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, USDHHS, accessed 25/07/2025.

World Health Organization (WHO) (2018), WHO plan to eliminate industrially-produced trans-fatty acids form the global food supply, WHO, accessed 25/07/2025.

World Health Organization (WHO) (2020), Healthy Diet: Fact Sheet, WHO, accessed 25/07/2025.