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I can't find the ingredient I need for a recipe
Click here to contact us. We can suggest an alternative ingredient to use in your recipe to get an accurate classification.
I can’t add a recipe or product to my assessment. Nothing happens when I click ‘Add’.
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The site is running slow / It takes more than a couple of seconds to complete an action
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If you're still experiencing issues with the site, click here to contact us.
A product in my assessment results is ‘Not classified’.
This might be because something about the product’s category or criteria has changed since you first assessed it, and it needs to be updated.
We recommend that you copy that assessment, and remove the product. Then click ‘Add product’, and use the ‘Product search’ or ‘Assess new product’ tabs to add the item to your assessment.
If the item was from your saved product list, we recommend you delete it. Click ‘Add product’, then ‘Saved products’ tab. Find the saved product then click ‘Remove’.
What policy or guidelines will my menu be assessed against?
FoodChecker's menu assessment function for Victorian long day care uses the Victorian Government's Menu planning guidelines for long day care.
These guidelines outline criteria for main meals, morning tea, afternoon tea and drinks to plan a menu for children aged 1-5 years old.
Learn more about the criteria.
Read more about long day care menu assessments.
Can I assess just one recipe on my long day care menu?
FoodChecker's menu assessment function for Victorian long day care looks at all the foods and drinks supplied on the menu for one week.
For advice and suggestions on making individual meals and snacks healthier, visit the Healthy Eating Advisory Service.
Read more about long day care menu assessments.
How do I add a second course to my long day care menu?
If your long day care centre provides a second course after lunch, enter this meal in the 'lunch' section. When asked, select 'no' to the vegetarian meal question.
Can I use FoodChecker for my outside school hours care service (Victoria)?
FoodChecker is not designed for Victorians outside school hours care services (OSHC), as the Victorian school menu assessment function uses the Department of Education’s Canteens, Healthy Eating and Other Food Services policy for schools.
However, using the search and assess products function for Victorian schools can still be used as a guide only for OSHC.
Many GREEN and AMBER foods may be appropriate for OSHC, but RED foods should not be provided. Always refer to the Food and drink guidelines for outside school hours care to determine if a food or drink meets the guidelines for OSHC.
Some products that may be GREEN or AMBER for schools but do not meet the Food and drink guidelines for OSHC include:
What policy or guidelines will my menu be assessed against?
You can use FoodChecker to plan and assess healthy canteen menus in line with the following government criteria for schools:
Click here to learn more about each criteria.
See also: How to assess a school canteen menu.
What policy or guidelines will my foods and drinks be assessed against?
Use FoodChecker to assess retail food outlet menus, catering menus, and vending machines according to the following state government criteria:
Click here to learn more about each criteria.
See also: How to assess a retail outlet menu, catering menu or vending machine.
How are products classified? What criteria are used?
You can use FoodChecker to find out if a product is classified GREEN, AMBER, RED, etc, according to the following state government criteria:
Learn more about the criteria.
There are two ways to find out a product’s classification in FoodChecker:
See also: How to assess products.
I think a product is classified wrong
We take care to ensure that classifications are accurate, however product information can change and unforeseen errors may occur.
If you believe a classification is incorrect please first check the product’s information against the criteria below to confirm if it is classified correctly:
Learn more about the criteria.
If you still believe a product classification is incorrect, please report an error here. We will review your report within 3-5 business days and let you know if any action needs to be taken.
I want to provide feedback on the criteria
The criteria below are developed and managed by the relevant state governments, not by the Healthy Eating Advisory Service nor National Nutrition Foundation.
If you would like to provide feedback to the relevant government on the criteria, please visit the links below.
Victoria
South Australia
Queensland
Western Australia
What if I can't find a product in the database?
If you would like to assess a product that is not in the database, you can classify it by entering some information from the packaging.
From the ‘Search product’ screen, click ‘Assess new product’, then select a category and complete the form. If you are logged in, click ‘Save product’ to use it again in future.
Learn more: How to assess products.
I’m from a food or beverage company and would like to have my product range included in your database – can you help me?
To enquiry about having your company's foods and drinks listed on FoodChecker, please contact us.
I'm from a food or beverage company and our product/s have been classified. Where did you get the product information from?
Most information about the branded food and drink products in FoodChecker are supplied by an external database. All product information is either sourced direct from the company or via publicly available information, such as packaging and websites.
If you would like to report an error, or to query a classification, please contact us.