Table 1 Procedure to classify foods consistent with the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating

Q1. Is the product easily identifiable as a five food group food, or water?

Vegetables - All fresh, frozen, canned and dried, but not fried

Classify into the appropriate food group

Go to Q2

Fruit - All fresh, frozen, canned, dried, and fruit juice

Grains - Whole and rolled grains, flour, bread, pasta, noodles, breakfast cereals, including refined and whole grain varieties

Lean meat, fish, and alternatives - All fresh, frozen and canned meat, poultry and fish; salt and fat reduced sausages; eggs, tofu, nuts and nut spreads, legumes, seeds

Milk, yoghurt, cheese, and alternatives - Fresh, dried, evaporated or UHT milk, yoghurt, all cheese, and calcium-enriched alternatives

Water

Q2. Is the product easily identifiable as a discretionary food, using the examples provided in the Eat for Health Educators Guide?

Foods with higher added sugars - energy drinks, fruit drinks, honey, jams, marmalade, some sauces, sports drinks, sugar, confectionery, soft drinks, cordials, sweetened waters, iced tea, syrups

Classify as discretionary

Go to Q3

Foods with higher saturated fat - bacon, ham, butter, cream, ghee, some tacos/nachos/enchiladas, commercially fried foods, commercial burgers, crisps, extruded snacks, dairy blends, frankfurts, chips, meat pie, pasties, pastry, pizza, processed meat, quiche, salami, mettwurst, sausages, some crackers, some sauces, spring roll

Foods with higher saturated fat and added sugars - biscuits, cakes, chocolate, chocolate bars, dessert style custards, doughnuts, iced buns, ice cream, muesli bars, puddings, slices, some confectionery, some sauces, muffins, pastries, pies, crumbles

Foods with high salt - marinades and sauces e.g. fish sauce, soy sauce; salty snack foods; spreads e.g. Vegemite; savoury biscuits

Q3. Do the ABS principles for identifying discretionary foods identify this food as discretionary?

All milk drinks including flavoured milk

Classify as milk, yogurt, cheese and alternatives

Go to Q4

All soft drinks including those with intense sweeteners

Classify as discretionary

All fruit drinks other than fruit juices

Tea or coffee with added sugar

Breakfast cereals without added fruit > 30g sugar/100g

Breakfast cereals with added fruit > 35g sugar/100g

All dry soup mixes

Mixed dishes containing grains e.g. sandwiches, burgers, wraps, sushi, pizza >5g saturated fat/100g

Classify as ‘mixed product high in fat salt or sugar’

Q4. Does the product contain any of the following: added saturated fat, added salt, or added sugar?

Added saturated fat e.g. butter, cream, coconut milk/cream, mayonnaise

Go to Q5

Classify as 'mixed product using mainly five food group foods'

Added salt e.g. marinades, soy/fish sauce, stock/bouillon

Added sugar or other sweeteners e.g. honey, syrups

Q5. Does the nutrition content of the product meet any of the following criteria from the Eat for Health Educators Guide?

-- total fat > 10g per 100g

Classify as discretionary or 'mixed product high in fat salt or sugar'

Go to Q6

-- saturated fat > 3g per 100g

-- total sugar > 15g per 100g

-- sodium > 400mg per 100g

Q6. Is there enough information provided to classify the product as five food group foods or mixed product using mainly core foods?

For products where only front-of-pack information is available, products will be classified as discretionary/ mixed product high in fat salt or sugar unless there is sufficient information to classify it as five food group food/ mixed product using mainly five food group foods

Classify into the appropriate food group, or as 'mixed product using mainly five food group foods'

Classify as discretionary or 'mixed product high in fat salt or sugar'