Decades-old Nutrition Data Leave NZ In The Dark

Public health and food industry experts are calling on the Government to urgently fund a new National Nutrition Survey (NNS) to provide essential, up-to-date data for shaping effective public health policies and tackling rising diet-related diseases.

What we eat and how has changed dramatically since the last NNS survey 20 years ago. More people eat outside the home, and diets have evolved with the rise of ready-made meals, plant-based eating, paleo and keto diets, gluten-free foods, energy drinks, artificial sweeteners, and other ultra-processed foods. These shifts create major gaps in our understanding of current nutrition trends, say researchers in the latest Briefing from the Public Health Communication Centre.

Briefing co-author Prof Cliona Ni Mhurchu from the University of Auckland warns that without current data, policymakers, researchers, and the food industry are making critical decisions in the dark.

“Food availability, affordability, and consumption have changed dramatically over the past two decades,” she says. “Social media influencers now help shape dietary choices and rising food costs have increased reliance on convenience foods. Yet we have no comprehensive data to assess the impact on overall dietary intake and health,” she says.

“This affects everyone, but Māori and Pasifika communities are disproportionately impacted by food insecurity and poor nutrition resulting in diseases such as diabetes.”

A new NNS would benefit not only public health but also the food industry, which relies on nutrition data to develop healthier products and monitor trends. Policymakers also need accurate, evidence-based insights to shape food regulations and public health initiatives. “The Government, health agencies, and food producers all need reliable data to make informed decisions,” says Prof Ni Mhurchu. “We can’t afford to keep guessing.”

In 2021, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry for Primary Industries invested $1 million to develop tools for a new NNS, including a digital dietary recall tool and updated food security surveys. These tools are ready to be deployed, but the Government has yet to fund the full survey, estimated to cost $15 million. “That’s the price of a small roundabout,” says Prof Ni Mhurchu “Compared to the $2 billion annual cost of managing type 2 diabetes, it’s a small but vital investment.”

Other countries have successfully managed rising survey costs by using lower-cost methods such as rolling surveys, online data collection, and AI-driven food tracking. New Zealand can follow suit by adopting some of these innovations to conduct a cost-effective and comprehensive nutrition survey.

“There are smarter, more affordable ways to do this,” says Prof Ni Mhurchu. “What’s lacking isn’t the technology—it’s the political will.”

Public health experts and industry groups are united in calling for urgent Government action.

“Without up-to-date nutrition data, we risk failing the next generation,” says Prof Ni Mhurchu. “The time to act is now. We urge the Government to prioritise funding for a new NNS so we can build healthier communities by designing cost-effective initiatives that address NZ’s unique nutritional issues and needs.

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