We're developing a database of branded food products sold in Australia.
The Branded Food Database will provide a central source of brand-specific information to support our standards development work and development and monitoring of Australian Government public health policy and nutrition initiatives.
We also aim to publish a subset of branded food data to help people make informed decisions about the foods and beverages they buy.
Over time, we hope to link the database with other datasets to provide a more comprehensive picture of food and nutrient consumption patterns in the Australian population.
The database
The Branded Food Database is a three-part system that will deliver secure, integrated data collection, storage, analysis, publication and reporting functions.
Data collection with partners GS1 Australia and industry has commenced.
Development of FSANZ's Secure Database for storing and reporting branded food data is expected to be completed in the second half of 2024.
Timeframes for reporting and data publication will be considered once data collection has progressed and systems development has been completed.
Data collection
FSANZ and GS1 Australia are working directly with food manufacturers and retailers (brand owners) to collect branded food data. By working collaboratively we aim to ensure the database captures a wide range of foods and product information, including season-specific products.
Data collected will include a range of on-pack information and, where relevant, a number of off-pack attributes. Participation in the program is voluntary, however for those brand owners that choose to participate, there is a required (mandatory) dataset. There are a number of optional data fields that if available and provided would be also valuable to FSANZ.
| Mandatory data | Optional data |
|---|---|
|
|
Data provision
Brand owners can provide product data via GS1 Australia or through the FSANZ Branded Food Database Portal.
Additional data collection options are being scoped and consulted on.
Targeted data collection may be undertaken where initial data coverage is low, or to fill gaps identified in the dataset.
Providing data via GS1 Australia
If you are an existing National Product Catalogue (NPC) user, you can publish your product data to FSANZ via the NPC free of charge. GS1 Australia is available to assist you with updating your product information and becoming data ready.
Providing data via the FSANZ Branded Food Database Portal
Brand owners can also provide data to FSANZ, free of charge, via the FSANZ Branded Food Database Portal. By registering to the Portal you agree to the Terms and Conditions of use.
The Portal is supported by a User Interface that enables the entry, submission and updating of product data, along with an Excel template that enables the bulk upload of up to 250 products at once.
Brand owners who use the Excel template will still need to complete the final step of submitting data for each product within the User Interface. Updates to products previously uploaded also need to occur at the User Interface.
We are working to enhance the capability within the Portal, including delivering functionality that allows for updates and submission of products from the Excel template. This will allow brand owners to manage their data in the Excel template and re-upload on a periodic basis.
A Portal User Guide has been developed to assist brand owners when providing data.
Portal User Guide:
- FSANZ Portal User Guide 2024 (Word 1.6MB)
- FSANZ Portal User Guide 2024 (PDF 1.5MB)
To register to provide data via GS1's NPC or the FSANZ Branded Food Database Portal, please email the Branded Food Database team at brandedfooddatabase@foodstandards.gov.au.
Accuracy of data collected
All data provided will be checked and validated against pre-defined rules as part of the data collection and exchange process with GS1 Australia. Data cannot be incorporated into the Branded Food Database until these rules have been met.
Targeted in-store audits will also be undertaken to ensure the accuracy and currency of the data collected.
Data collected will not be used by FSANZ for compliance or enforcement purposes.
Publication of data
It is anticipated a subset of branded food data will be published on our website with the permission of data providers.
The minimum published dataset (minimum dataset) is likely to include:
- Global Trade Item Number (GTIN)
- Brand owner, brand name, product name
- Pack and serve size
- Nutrition information panel
- Ingredient statement
- If displayed, Health Star Rating
Data providers can choose how their data is used. If requested, FSANZ will agree to keep some or all data provided for in-house use only. When providing data, manufacturers' can identify how their data can be used by selecting one of four privacy options.
Privacy options for the public release of branded food data
| Level 0 | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
No restrictions No restrictions on publishing any product data on the public website |
Minimum data set Publish minimum product data only (excludes FVNL & fibre) |
Private Exclude all product data from the public website |
Private Exclude all product data from the public website |
Data will be published in conjunction with existing published datasets, such as the Australian Food Composition Database, as a web based searchable database and as downloadable files. Data will be updated regularly.
All data in the Branded Food Database will remain the property of the brand owner. Data will be managed as directed by the brand owner and subject to the terms and conditions for data provision and use.
For more information on the Branded Food Database, please refer to the General FAQs and Data security, use and privacy FAQs below or email us at brandedfooddatabase@foodstandards.gov.au.