The purpose of FoodSwitch is to bring transparency to the world’s food supply with a vision of an optimised food system for human health and the health of our planet. There are many studies highlighting the link between diet, ill-health and disease. Globally, 1 in 5 deaths are associated with poor diet, with cardiovascular disease being the biggest contributor, followed by cancers and type 2 diabetes. In addition, it is estimated that between 30% and 40% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe) are attributable to the global food system. To achieve our purpose, we collect and analyse information from packaged food labels to generate data and insights that can influence government policy and industry practice toward improved food environments. Additionally, we have several apps that allow consumers to make better food choices: Our FoodSwitch App provides simple health and nutrition information on a scanned product and suggests healthier alternatives to 'switch' to, and

Working together with consumers and community members helps the Institute achieve high-quality research that has the greatest impact on the health and wellbeing of Australian people. The Institute is guided by the work of peak bodies such as the National Health and Medical Research Council and Consumers Health Forum of Australia. When using the term ‘consumer’, we are referring to patients and potential patients, people who use health care services, and their carers or family members. When we use the term ‘community members’ we refer to those who share an interest in our research – including sub-groups of the Australian population, and healthy members of our community who want to prevent ill-health. Below are key ways that consumers are involved in health research. Consumer and Community Advisory CommitteeThe CCAC oversees consumer involvement at the Institute. The committee works with key staff, including the Executive team and research program leads

FoodSwitch Composition Database The FoodSwitch database holds detailed nutrition and attribute information on individual packaged food products. The data is used for research and advocacy to influence government policy and industry practice toward improved food environments. It is also used by the various apps to help consumers make healthier food choices by offering accessible and clear information about the nutritional content of packaged foods. The database is continually updated, reflecting changes in food formulations and the introduction of new products – it is estimated that there is around 25% - 30% of product churn every 12 months. The data is utilised in various tools and apps to guide users towards healthier eating patterns, supporting public health initiatives and research on dietary habits and nutrition. FoodSwitch: Tracking Food Data Across 17 Jurisdictions AustraliaNew ZealandUnited KingdomSwedenFranceUSAMexicoBrazilChile ChinaFijiHongkongIndiaKuwaitSouth

Australians consume around 14 teaspoons of added sugar a day - two more than the 12 teaspoons limit recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Eating too many foods high in added sugars can lead to weight gain, an increased risk of obesity related diseases, and is a major risk factor in tooth decay. What is sugar? Sugar is a type of carbohydrate that occurs naturally in foods such as milk and fruit and can also be added to foods and drinks in various forms by the manufacturer or the consumer. Total sugars of a product refers to the combination of sugars that are naturally present and those that are added.Intrinsic and milk sugars occur in foods and drinks such as intact fruits and vegetables (i.e. fructose) and milk (i.e. lactose).Added sugars are all other sugars. It is these sugars that are associated with poor health outcomes and we should avoid. They are often added by manufacturers to give greater sweetness or other desired characteristics. What is added sugar

The 15th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion (Safety 2024) co-sponsored by the World Health Organization will be held between 2nd-4th September 2024 at Taj Palace, New Delhi (India). This event will focus worldwide attention on safety and injury prevention. The event is hosted by The George Institute for Global Health in collaboration with three other WHO Collaborating Centres in the region:  Transportation Research and Injury Prevention Center (TRIP) at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi Department of Emergency Medicine, All India Institute for Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Department of Epidemiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) All the international experts in the field will gather at this event with a united goal of “Building a safer future for all: Equitable and sustainable strategies for injury and violence prevention”. Why is the George Ins

Balancing growth and green At The George Institute, we’re on an exciting journey to make sustainability a core part of everything we do. Our Sustainability Roadmap sets out how we’ll get there. In 2024, we’re laying the groundwork by finalizing our sustainability plan, conducting a thorough audit to understand where we stand, and listening to our stakeholders to learn what matters most to them. In 2025, we’ll start putting our plans into action—introducing initiatives to improve our performance, building better systems for tracking and reporting our progress, and tackling any gaps in the data we need to measure success. By 2026, we’ll focus on refining our processes, ensuring our data is accurate and reliable, and aligning with global frameworks to prepare for external reporting. Finally, in 2027, we’ll bring it all together by fully integrating climate reporting into our annual reporting cycles, ensuring sustainability is firmly embedded in how we work an

At The George Institute, we are committed to improving our research by making it more relevant, responsive, translatable, and accountable to our communities, including patients, consumers, people with lived experiences, carers, civil society groups, and the public. These groups have a right to have a say in what is researched and how, and our aim is to ensure their involvement is a fundamental aspect of all our projects, wherever applicable and feasible. Meaningful involvement ensures that research questions are aligned with community needs, improves the relevance and usefulness of findings, and promotes a sense of ownership and understanding among community members. Additionally, it provides a platform for advocacy and increases the likelihood of research findings being used by policy makers. Ultimately, it empowers communities, fosters equitable partnerships, and drives positive social change. Our Framework for Community Engagement and Involvement was developed to establish a common

Program overview: Health and well-being are intrinsically impacted by socio-determinants related to carers, family, community, and service delivery across health and other sectors, within local country context. Socio-determinants are complex and can include dispossession, institutional racism, drug and alcohol, and debt, resulting in a lack of access to culturally safe services and intergenerational mistrust of services. However, sustainably integrating services within health and other sectors is challenging due to patient, organisational and policy and historical barriers.Our program aims to strengthen health systems resilience using interdisciplinary implementation research across different contexts, cultures and sectors, to holistically address socio-determinants of health so as to improve health equity. Program Objectives:  Examine and implement best practices in community engagement, partnerships and capacity-strengthening.  Embed WHO integrated people-cent

Thank you for requesting the FoodSwitch – State of the Food Supply Report 2023You can download the report by clicking on the link here.FoodSwitch holds data on over 100,000 Australian packaged food items, 5,000 fast food items and data for 16 other countries.If you are interested in obtaining further data or analyses relating to the food supply, please contact Fraser Taylor at ftaylor@georgeinstitute.org.au