Draft Australian Dietary Guidelines (PDF, 3MB) - Eat For Health

Appendix 1. History and timeline ofAustralian nutrition documentsThe Commonwealth Advisory Council on Nutrition was formed in 1936 and became theNutrition Committee of the NHMRC in 1939, at the same time as a Nutrition Unit wasestablished in the then Commonwealth Department of Health. Soon after, state and territoryhealth departments set up similar nutrition committees and have since had a role in providingnutrition information and education programs in Australia.From the 1940s through to the 1970s the Commonwealth and the states and territories publishedpamphlets and booklets to guide food selection and provide education tools, including the FiveFood 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 foodsFirst set of tables of composition of Australian foods, including data from both local and overseassources for over 1100 foods. It was revised and reprinted many times over the next decades.1979-83 Dietary Guidelines for AustraliansIn response to an increase in nutritional problems related to overconsumption of food, in 1979the Department of Health developed eight Dietary Goals for Australians. These were modified toprovide direct advice to members of the community as Dietary Guidelines for Australians, whichwere endorsed by the NHMRC in 1983. It was noted that these guidelines should be reviewed asfurther data became available on the nutritional status of Australian and the relationships betweendiet and disease [939].1989 Nutrient Data Table (NUTTAB)The first electronic food composition data release (on diskette), as the first edition of the NutrientData Table for use in Australia (NUTTAB), containing a combination of Australian and British data[940].DRAFT Australian Dietary Guidelines- December 2011 150