Media releases

A new Australian study has revealed that the majority of commercial snack foods for babies and toddlers are ultra-processed, overly sweet, and fail to meet nutrition standards.

New research by Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), co-funded by VicHealth, shows young Australian children are regularly eating packaged toddler food products from an early age, many of which do not support good health.

Food for Health Alliance has welcomed a draft determination released by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) today, clarifying that GST applies to toddler milk products.

Published for the first time in more than a decade, new ABS data on food and nutrition released today shows while Australians are consuming less sugary drinks than in 2011-12, snack consumption is increasing, and consumption of fruit products is down.

Public health experts have congratulated Food Ministers on their decision to support regulating the composition, labelling and texture of baby and toddler foods in Australia

This World Obesity Day, Food for Health Alliance is urging the Australian Government to prioritise the funding and implementation of the National Obesity Strategy. This strategy was launched on this day by the Federal Government in 2022, but three years on little progress on its recommendations has been made.

A new report from Food for Health Alliance released today highlights how companies are misleading parents about what’s in packaged baby and toddler foods. The findings come as Food Ministers are set to decide in coming weeks whether to regulate the composition and marketing of these foods in Australia.

Food for Health Alliance is urging the Australian Government to prioritise the funding and implementation of the National Obesity Strategy, as AIHW data shows overweight and obesity have overtaken tobacco smoking as the leading risk factor contributing to the disease burden.

Food for Health Alliance has applauded Independent MP Dr Sophie Scamps, who is set to re-introduce a Private Members Bill into Parliament today to remove unhealthy food marketing on TV and radio, including subscription (streaming) services, between 6am and 9.30pm and online at all times.

Leading public health groups are calling for Health Star Ratings to be mandatory across all packaged food products, after an audit found almost two-thirds of items failed to display a rating a decade after the introduction of the voluntary scheme.

Food for Health Alliance’s Brands off our kids! campaign today launched an Open Letter, appealing to Australian Health Minister, the Hon Mark Butler, to introduce regulation to stop sinister marketing tactics of the processed food industry relentlessly targeting children.

Australian public health groups have welcomed the news that the Australian Government plans to better control how infant formulas are marketed in Australia, saying that the move will help protect children’s health and prevent parent confusion.

Food for Health Alliance is urging the Australian Government to take swift action to protect children from unhealthy food and drink advertising. This comes after the UK announced last week that by October 2025 it will implement a ban on junk food marketing on television before 9pm and paid junk food advertising online.

Food for Health Alliance has welcomed the Federal Parliamentary Inquiry into Diabetes’ recommendations for the Australian Government to protect children from junk food marketing, introduce a tiered levy on sugary drinks to fast-track reformulation, and implement food labelling reforms that target added sugar.

Supermarkets are using product placement and price promotions to lure Australians into buying more unhealthy foods than they intend to, with shocking new Cancer Council Victoria research showing the marketing tactics are working.