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How much sodium is in Australian foods?

How much sodium is in Australian foods? FSANZ monitors the levels of sodium in the Australian food supply because it's the sodium from salt in the diet that's linked to major health problems. We analysed sodium in monitoring programs in 2006 and 2008 and in 2009 in a range of packaged and take-away foods. In these surveys, the foods found to contain the highest levels of sodium per 100 g were: potato crisps, processed meat and meat products including sausages, meat pies, sausage rolls and chicken nuggets, cheese and pizza. Other high sodium foods include a range of sauces, spreads and condiments. These analysed values include sodium from salt, naturally occurring sodium and sodium from food additives. The food industry has been reducing salt in various products to reduce sodium levels.…

Published 29 January 2019

Iodine in food and iodine requirements

Iodine in food and iodine requirements Iodine is in many foods, but much of the Australian and New Zealand food supply is now low in iodine, which has led to widespread iodine deficiency. The table below is a guide to the iodine content of various foods. However, the actual iodine content of food will vary depending on where it is grown and how it is made. Approximate iodine content of various foods Food Micrograms of iodine per 100 g Micrograms of iodine per serve Serve size Oysters 160 144 6 oysters - 90g Sushi (containing seaweed) 92 92 1 sushi roll - 100g Canned salmon 60 63 1 small tin - 105g Bread (except organic bread) 46 28 2 slices bread -60g Steamed snapper 40 50 1 fillet - 125g Cheddar…

Published 24 June 2016

Plant-based milk alternatives

Plant-based milk alternatives Several beverages derived from cereals, legumes or nuts or a combination of these products are available on the market as dairy milk alternatives. These beverages are made from:

• legumes such as soy
• cereals such as rice or oat
• nuts such as almond.

Published 5 December 2018

Iodine and pregnancy

Iodine and pregnancy If you are thinking about having a baby you need to know about iodine. Iodine is an essential mineral that we get from the food we eat. While seafood is a good source of iodine, the amount of iodine in other food like milk and vegetables varies depending on where it is grown and how it is made. The developing baby in the womb, babies and young children are at greatest risk from a diet low in iodine. Mild to moderate iodine deficiency can cause learning difficulties and affect physical development and hearing. In recent years there was a re-emergence of iodine deficiency in Australia and New Zealand, with nearly half the population thought to have inadequate iodine intakes. Since 2009, the Australian and New Zealand governments have required the salt used…

Published 3 November 2023

Regulatory nutrient reference values

Regulatory nutrient reference values Nutrient reference values (NRVs) indicate the daily amount of nutrients (energy, macro-nutrients, vitamins, minerals) required for good health, as well as an upper safe level of nutrient intake. The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the New Zealand Ministry of Health released a comprehensive set of NRVs for Australia and New Zealand in 2006. A further update of reference values for sodium and fluoride was published in 2017. The 2006 NRVs replaced the previous Recommended Dietary Intakes for Use in Australia (RDIs) which were published in 1991 and adopted by New Zealand. These RDIs together with other government recommendations, and certain United States ESADDIs (Estimated Safe and Adequate Daily Dietary Intakes) (1989) are currently…

Published 1 March 2022

Sodium and salt

Sodium and salt What is salt? Salt is a chemical compound made up of sodium and chlorine. It's been used in food preparation for thousands of years, for flavour and to help preserve foods. Too much sodium from salt in the diet has been linked with increased blood pressure and hypertension, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, including stroke and heart attack. Sodium in food Sodium is a commonly occurring element. While most of the sodium in our food comes from salt, sodium is found naturally in virtually all foods that we eat, even when they don't have added salt. When the nutrients in foods are analysed the sodium content from all sources (i.e. naturally occurring sodium, sodium from food additives and sodium from added salt) is determined, not the amount of salt in a food, as…

Published 5 January 2021

Plant sterols

Plant sterols Plant sterols (phytosterols, phytostanols and their fatty acid esters) are cholesterol-like substances that occur naturally at low levels in fruits, vegetables, nuts and cereals. When eaten at the recommended amount, between 2 and 3 grams a day, plant sterols can reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in our blood. Most people obtain between 150 and 360 milligrams of plant sterols daily, depending on diet. Eating more than 3 grams per day does not reduce your LDL cholesterol any further. Use in food The Food Standards Code (Schedule 25 - Permitted Novel Foods) permits the use of plant sterols in margarine, low fat milks, low fat yoghurts and breakfast cereals, lower fat cheese and processed cheese. Advice for…

Published 24 June 2016

Current status of genetically modified food applications

Current status of genetically modified food applications On this page

• Genetically modified food - plant origin
• Genetically modified food - microbial origin

Published 2 November 2023

Safety assessments of GM foods

Safety assessments of GM foods How does FSANZ ensure GM foods are safe? FSANZ has established a rigorous and transparent process for assessing the safety of GM foods. The safety assessment is undertaken in accordance with internationally established scientific principles and guidelines developed through the work of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, World Health Organization (WHO) and the codex Alimentarius Commission. The data requirements to guide the safety assessment are provided in Guideline 3.5.1 of the Application Handbook and additional information on these data requirements is provided in Part 2.3 (GM Applications - Additional Information…

Published 2 September 2025

Nanotechnology and Food

Nanotechnology and Food What is nanotechnology? Nanotechnology describes a range of technologies used to manipulate materials that are generally less than 100 nanometres (nm) in size in one dimension. One nm is one billionth of a metre. Are nanotechnologies being used in foods? There is little evidence to suggest nanotechnologies are being used in the food industry on a wide scale, although a lot of research is being undertaken on potential applications. Future applications of nanotechnologies could include nanostructured food products, nanoscale or nano-encapsulated food additives, or food packaging with improved properties. There are, however, certain foods including food additives that naturally contain nanoscale particles.  Are nanoscale materials new? Nanoscale materials are not new. Food is…

Published 28 September 2022