Healthy choices: policy directive instructions for using FoodChecker

Health services

Healthy choices: policy directive instructions for using FoodChecker

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All public health services should select the Policy directive assessment type, and not the standard Healthy Choices assessment type when completing FoodChecker assessments for the Policy directive.

 

On FoodChecker, health services have two assessment options, Policy directive or the ‘standard’ Healthy Choices option.

The Policy directive assessment flow is relevant for public health services with vending machines and/or in-house managed retail food outlets. This assessment type will review your foods and/or drinks against the Policy directive targets, and only assessments using this flow can be submitted via the Progress tracker for Department of Health Policy directive reporting.

The Healthy Choices assessment flow is relevant if you have a commercially managed retail food outlet or are a private health service. This assessment will show the percentages for food and drinks combined, unlike the Policy directive flow which separates them and has different percentage targets for Green, Amber and Red drinks.

The assessments you complete using FoodChecker are not visible or submitted to the Victorian Department of Health until you finalise reporting using the Progress tracker tool.

The following steps demonstrate how to complete a FoodChecker assessment using the Policy directive targets for foods and drinks for your health service.

Instructions

Step 1 - Starting your assessment

To begin, log in to your health service FoodChecker account.

Step 2 -Select 'Health services'

Select an organisation type to assess. Public health services in Victoria reporting for the Policy directive should select ‘Health services’.

Step 3 - Selecting the Policy directive flow

  • Select ‘Healthy choices: policy directive for Victorian public health services’ flow to ensure your assessment uses the Policy directive targets.
  • Previous FoodChecker assessments completed in the Healthy choices flow will need to be redone in the Policy directive flow for Policy directive reporting.

Step 4 - Selecting your Policy directive assessment type

Choose your assessment type to begin assessing your foods and/or drinks in FoodChecker.

  • To assess the contents of your vending machine, select ‘Assess vending machine’.
  • To assess food and drink provision in your retail outlet/s (including food and drinks fridges) select ‘Assess full menu’.
  • For items which require you to enter a recipe, such as:
  • * hot meals

    * items from patient/residential menu

    * sandwich/salad bar

    * Smoothies/milkshakes or other cold drinks made onsite

    * Snacks made onsite

Enter these recipes via the ‘Assess a recipe’ function, you will then add these into a full menu assessment.

Step 5 - View/edit and complete your assessment/s

To see your assessments, select ‘My Assessments.’ To make changes to your assessment, select the ‘Copy and Edit’ function.

You can complete as many assessments as you like.

Make a note of the assessment/s you wish to nominate for each food outlet and vending machine for Policy directive reporting in the Progress tracker, including the assessment ID number, assessment name and date submitted.

For more information please phone 1300 22 52 88 or email heas@nutritionaustralia.org.au

Except where otherwise indicated, the images in this document show models and illustrative settings only, and do not necessarily depict actual services, facilities or recipients of services. This document may contain images of deceased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. In this document, ‘Aboriginal’ refers to both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. ‘Indigenous’ or ‘Koori/Koorie’ is retained when part of the title of a report, program or quotation. Copyright © State of Victoria 2016

Written and reviewed by dietitians and nutritionists at Nutrition Australia, with support from the Victorian Government.

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