Professor Steve Wesselingh
CEO, National Health and Medical Research Council
26 February 2024

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is currently undertaking a review of the Australian Dietary Guidelines. The updated guidelines are scheduled for delivery in 2026.

Dietary guidelines provide advice for the general community about the amount and kinds of foods we should eat for good health. A healthy diet improves quality of life and wellbeing and protects us against chronic diseases.

The recommendations in dietary guidelines are based on the best available scientific evidence and the evidence points to the importance of eating well when it comes to reducing your risk of disease.

Dietary guidelines are best designed by our nutrition experts and scientists, through open consultation with industry groups and stakeholders, and our independent experts are diligently examining the recommendations to ensure these reflect the latest evidence and best practices.

The guidelines promote balance, variety and moderation in our daily food consumption, and this is to ensure that we continue to build a healthier future for all Australians.

Diet is a huge topic, with a large volume of evidence underpinning the guidelines. Given this, a prioritised approach is being taken to review the evidence and this takes considerable time.

There has already been an Expert Committee established which identified sustainable diets—accessible, affordable and equitable with low environmental impacts as a high priority, along with the relationship between dietary patterns and health outcomes.

It is important that we involve members of the public in this significant piece of work.

Additionally, the National Health and Climate Strategy includes an action to consider economic, social, and environmental sustainability in the revised Guidelines.

The dietary guidelines will first and foremost consider and advise on the health impacts of dietary patterns and food groups in the Australian context but may also consider other contextual factors.

The NHMRC standards for developing guidelines ask all guideline writers to consider the evidence (including its quality) and other factors influencing decision making. Other factors include benefits and harms, values and preferences, resource use and acceptability.

NHMRC understands that sustainability encompasses a wide range of issues which may include environmental, social and economic considerations, and it certainly remains a focus, as we develop dietary guidelines that not only support individual health but are also sustainable.

All stakeholders, including farmers and farming organisations, will have the opportunity to comment on the draft guidelines.

Until updated guidelines are available, Australians should follow the recommendations in the 2013 Dietary Guidelines, including continuing to enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods from the five groups every day including lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds, and legumes/beans.

Read more information about the Review of the 2013 Australian Dietary Guidelines.

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