AUSNUT 2011-13 is a set of files that enables food, dietary supplement and nutrient intake estimates to be made from the 2011-13 Australian Health Survey (AHS). It includes foods and dietary supplements consumed as part of the 2011-12 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (NNPAS) and the 2012-13 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (NATSINPAS) components of the AHS.
To be able to estimate food, dietary supplement and nutrient intakes, information is needed on the nutrient content of the foods and dietary supplements consumed and how much of a food or dietary supplement a person has eaten. A coding or classification system is also needed to group similar foods and dietary supplements for reporting purposes.
AUSNUT 2011-13 contains all the data needed to help the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) turn the food and dietary supplement consumption information collected from the AHS into food, dietary supplement and nutrient intakes for the NNPAS and NATSINPAS. It also contains information to help users interpret our data and to allow the data to be compared with older survey databases.
AUSNUT 2011-13 is the third release in the AUSNUT series of nutrient databases developed for the estimation of population nutrient intakes. Each release of AUSNUT is tailored to the design of the survey it supports and therefore the foods included in each AUSNUT release are not the same.
The complete AUSNUT 2011-13 contains the 11 files. To view these files see AUSNUT 2011-13 data files.
Limitations of food composition data
AUSNUT 2011-13 was developed for estimating food, dietary supplement and nutrient intakes from the AHS. Therefore the nutrient levels in a particular food or dietary supplement are indicative only of the products available during this period and only of the nutrients reported as part of the AHS.
The nutrient composition of foods and ingredients can also vary substantially because of a number of factors including changes in season, production and processing practices, formulation changes, brands and changes in the source of an ingredient.
Where possible, nutrient profiles for foods in AUSNUT 2011-13 were generated using Australian derived analytical data. However, AUSNUT 2011-13 also contains some data borrowed with permission from overseas food composition tables; supplied by the food industry; taken from food labels; imputed from similar foods; or calculated using a recipe approach.
Nutrient profiles for dietary supplements were derived using formulation data available on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (the Register). The nutrient database does not include a full list of Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) registered/listed products. For a full list please see https://www.ebs.tga.gov.au/
The formulation data available on the Register reflect the levels of active ingredients displayed on product labels in Australia. It is possible that label values may under-estimate actual levels present in a product as overages are allowed for some active ingredients.
Before relying on information in AUSNUT 2011-13, you must carefully evaluate the accuracy, completeness and relevance of the information for your purposes, and must consider the need to obtain appropriate expert advice relevant to your particular circumstances.
Understanding AUSNUT 2011-13
The information at the links below can help you understand what data is available in AUSNUT 2011-13, how the data was generated and its limitations.
The Australian Health Survey
The AHS is the largest and most comprehensive health survey ever conducted in Australia. It has three parts:
- 2011-12 National Health Survey (NHS)
- 2011-12 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (NNPAS)
- 2011-12 National Health Measures Survey (NHMS)
The AHS also includes equivalent surveys conducted on a representative sample of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, the:
- 2012-13 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey (NATSIHS)
- 2012-13 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (NATSINPAS)
- 2012-13 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Measures Survey (NATSIHMS)