Research topic areas of interest were identified through various scoping activities and prioritised by the Dietary Guidelines Expert Committee (Expert Committee). Research questions were identified and prioritised based on public health considerations and the likelihood of significant new evidence having emerged since the 2013 Australian Dietary Guidelines (the Guidelines). 

For more detail, see the full list of research questions or the two Prioritisation Process Reports – one for the general population and one for older Australians.

Reviewing the evidence

Highest priority topics for evidence review

Topics where the evidence-base is likely to have changed since the release of the 2013 Guidelines were considered higher priority for review by the Expert Committee.

The highest priority topics for evidence review are:

  • dietary patterns (combinations and amounts of foods regularly consumed)
  • nutritional needs across the life course
  • protein-rich foods (meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds and legumes/beans)
  • ultra-processed foods

Sustainable diets (accessible, affordable and equitable diets with low environmental impacts) are being addressed via a separate process.

To make efficient use of limited project resources, the evidence for the highest priority topics for review will be updated using:

  1. recent, high-quality published systematic reviews where available
  2. a limited number of newly commissioned evidence reviews where important evidence gaps are identified.

1. Mapping of existing systematic reviews

Evidence mapping activities were completed to make effective use of resources and avoid duplication of existing quality research. The evidence map identified recent, high-quality published systematic reviews to address the highest priority research questions.

Relevant systematic reviews were identified through:

  1. literature searches undertaken by an independent evidence reviewer (targeted database searches and identification of reviews published by key international groups)
  2. two public calls for systematic reviews to address priority research questions for all age groups (2023) and older adults (2024).

The identified systematic reviews were screened against eligibility criteria and mapped to the highest priority research questions.

The Expert Committee used the evidence map to identify:

  • the ‘most relevant’ existing reviews (based on scope, currency and risk of bias) to use to update the evidence underpinning the 2013 Guidelines, with the aim of achieving good coverage across highest priority questions. Expert Committee members were not provided with identifying information about each review until the reviews had been selected for potential use.
  • critical gaps in the evidence where new evidence reviews may be required.

In doing so, the Expert Committee considered a range of factors including:

  • whether the identified existing systematic reviews are likely to be appropriate for the research question
  • whether the identified systematic reviews are likely to be sufficiently methodologically robust that their findings can be relied upon to answer the research question
  • the impact on public health and wellbeing
  • the likelihood that the evidence-base has changed enough to change recommendations since the development of the 2013 Guidelines.

Due to finite project resources, only a limited number of new reviews have been commissioned to address gaps in the priority research questions. Any priority research questions that remain unaddressed will be noted as evidence gaps to inform future reviews.

2. New evidence reviews

As important evidence gaps remain, the Expert Committee has requested new evidence reviews be commissioned. For more information, visit New evidence reviews.

Topics not requiring full evidence updates

Pragmatic considerations partly contributed to decisions about priority including whether a topic could be partially or indirectly addressed by an alternative research question of higher priority.

The topic areas not prioritised for full evidence updates do not necessarily reflect the priority of the recommendations to be updated. There are topics critical for national dietary guideline recommendations which have not been identified as requiring full evidence updates during scoping and evidence mapping, as the evidence-base is unlikely to have changed significantly since the release of the 2013 Guidelines.

Topics identified as not requiring full evidence updates but still considered to be critical for dietary guideline recommendations will be considered using:

  • existing evidence from the 2013 Guidelines where the evidence is not likely to have changed enough to change the recommendations since their release
  • evidence reviews published by recognised international groups.