Implementing Food for Sport
Q: How often can we serve foods and drinks in the AMBER category?
A: Foods and drinks in the AMBER category are not restricted in how often they can be supplied. However, as these foods and drinks are mainly processed, with some sugar, salt or fat added to them, they shouldn't dominate the menu at the expense of healthier choices. It is recommended that you limit the serve size of AMBER foods and drinks and choose products that contain reduced levels of saturated fat, salt or sugar when compared to regular products.
Q: Does food cooked at home and sold in the canteens need to be consistent with Food for Sport?
A: Food cooked at home and offered for sale through the canteen should be consistent with the GREEN and AMBER categories of Food for Sport.
The types of foods which might be cooked at home and sometimes provided for sale through the sports canteen include baked products like cakes, biscuits, slices and muffins, and dishes such as lasagne, stir-fries, fried rice, chilli con carne, savoury mince, and curries.
As food is being prepared at home and not part of a commercial business, it is not an expectation that home cooked food is nutritionally analysed.
To ensure that foods are consistent with Food for Sport guidelines, clubs can:
- provide suggestions to volunteers of the types of products they wish to sell in the canteen
- include products that fall into the GREEN category in the list of suggestions (eg. scones, fruit salad)
- provide recipes, including ideas on modifying recipes to make them healthier
- serve home cooked products such as cakes and slices in small serve sizes
- serve home cooked products without adding extras such as jam, cream or ice-cream
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provide information on food safety.
Q: Are there any food safety regulations I need to be aware of when cooking food at home for sale in the club canteen?
A: Yes, clubs and volunteers should be aware of food safety in relation to selling food cooked from home. All food must be handled to ensure it is safe for sale; this includes preparation, cooking, storage and transportation. Hot savoury dishes are high risk foods compared to baked products such as cakes and biscuits and need to be handled carefully.
The overseer of the food business is responsible for ensuring the sale of safe food; this will be the canteen convenor in most cases. Contact your local Queensland Health Population Health Unit for more advice on food safety.
Q: Will canteen profits decrease as a result of implementing the Food for Sport guidelines?
A: It is often assumed that children will not buy healthier food and drinks from the canteen, and as a result it will lose business. However, children will buy healthy food and drinks when available, when they are promoted well, and when they have been involved in the decisions about what is sold. Children will keep coming back to the canteen if the food looks and tastes great.
There are many healthier alternatives to foods in the RED category that canteens can sell. Vending machines stocking water, fruit juice, milk and healthy snacks will still make a profit.
Classification of food and drinks
Q: What is confectionery?
A: Confectionery includes chocolates, carob and yoghurt based confectionery, and all types of lollies such as boiled lollies, cough lollies, liquorice, lollies made from fruit juice, and jelly lollies. All confectionery falls into the RED category of the Food for Sport guidelines.
However, foods containing confectionery, such as chocolate chip cookies, muffins or snack bars, may not fall into the RED category. These foods need to be assessed against the appropriate category in the 'Occasional' food and drink criteria table (Resource 2: Commonly supplied food and drinks guide ).
Q: Why are lollies containing yoghurt and fruit juice in the RED category?
A: These lollies contain minimal nutritional value. Food for Sport includes examples of good sources of milk, yoghurt, cheese and alternatives, and fruit; for example, one 200g tub of reduced fat yoghurt or one piece of fruit.
Q: What types of drinks are the healthiest options for children and young people?
A: Water, plain and flavoured milks are the healthiest drinks for children and young people and should be readily available and promoted. Fruit juices, and fruit drinks are high in acid and can contribute to tooth decay if consumed regularly.
Q: Where do full-fat dairy products fit under Food for Sport?
A: Under the Food for Sport guidelines full-fat milk products are classified as AMBER products and are therefore not limited in their supply in canteens, but should be selected carefully. Reduced-fat milk products are classified as GREEN products and are healthier choices for children. The Australian Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents (2003), developed by the National Health and Medical Research Council, recommends that the consumption of reduced fat milk products is encouraged in children over two years of age to reduce saturated fat intake.
Q: What does 'sugar-sweetened drinks and ices' mean?
A: 'Sugar-sweetened drinks and ices' refers to drinks and ices where a sweetener has been added. A range of ingredients are used by manufacturers to sweeten drinks and ices including sucrose (commonly called sugar), fructose, glucose and fruit juice concentrate. Drinks and ices sweetened with any of these ingredients should be assessed against the RED food and drink criteria table (Resource 4 ). A product that claims on the label that it contains "no added sugar" may still be sweetened with a fruit juice concentrate.
Examples of sweetened drinks and ices include soft drinks, flavoured mineral waters, energy drinks, sports drinks, fruit drinks, sports waters, iced teas, slushees, ice blocks and water/fruit-based ice confections.
Sweetened drinks and ices with an energy (kilojoule) content greater than 300kJ or sodium content greater than 100mg per serve will fit into the RED category of the Food for Sport guidelines.
Q: Is there a maximum serve size for fruit drinks and should fruit drinks be assessed against the RED food and drink criteria table?
A: Fruit drinks are drinks which contain less than 96% fruit juice and should be assessed against RED food and drink criteria table (Resource 4 ). One serving needs to contain less than 300 kilojoules and 100mg of sodium to fit in the AMBER category. It is recommended that the serve size of fruit drinks is limited to 250mls or less, however, depending on the ingredients used, some large serve sizes may still fit into the AMBER category. Drinks containing artificial sweeteners fit into the AMBER category.
Q: Is the maximum serve size for fruit juices 250mls?
A: No, chilled and frozen fruit juices (containing more than 96% fruit juice) of any serve size will fall into the AMBER category and therefore don't have to be assessed against the RED food and drink criteria table. However, it is recommended that the serve size is limited to 250mls or less as large serve sizes can contribute excess energy (kilojoules).
Nutrient criteria
Q: What is a 'serve' in the RED food and drink criteria table (Resource 4 )?
A: A serve is the size of the food or drink as sold or provided. It refers specifically to the pack size as sold or provided. This may be different to the serve size listed on the nutrition information panel.
For example, a 500ml drink sold in a bottle lists the serve size as 250mls and includes two servings per pack. In this example, the energy (kilojoules) and sodium in the whole 500ml pack should be assessed against the RED food and drink criteria table under the 'sugar-sweetened drinks and ices' category.
Q: Why isn't there a sugar level in the nutrient criteria?
A: The RED Food and Drink Criteria Table does not include a total sugar criteria. To keep the criteria as simple as possible and to ensure that foods containing naturally occurring sugars such as dairy products and fruit were not disadvantaged, no specific sugar criteria have been included. However, by setting a limit on the total kilojoule content of the product, the amount of sugar that can be added is limited. All types of confectionery, and many snacks and sugar sweetened drinks will fall into the RED category.
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