Monitoring Tool – National Healthy Food and Drink Policy

Overview
In September 2016, the National Healthy Food and Drink Policy (the Policy) was developed to create healthier food and drink environments that make the “healthy choice the easy choice”. The aim of the Policy is to create consistency across all District Health Boards, the Ministry of Health and potentially other settings.
The Policy and this Monitoring Tool (the Tool) were developed by the National District Health Board Food and Drink Environments Network (the Network, established 2015). The Tool was designed to be tailored according to each organisation’s needs in relation to the number and range of outlets on and off-site. It also acknowledges that organisations will have different baselines or starting points.
Purpose
  1. For organisations to assess their own progress with the Policy.
  2. To identify challenges, enablers and solutions in aligning with the Policy.
  3. To provide data that will be useful for progress comparisons or future evaluation.
Monitoring and assessment of the Policy will need to be part of each DHB’s implementation plan.
This Tool is aligned to the Policy and agreed expectations of the Network and the Ministry of Health.
Scope
The Tool is designed to be used as a self-assessment of progress by organisations that have endorsed the Policy. The framework of this Tool is aligned to the Policy which applies to all DHB facilities/sites, contractors and staff. Please refer to page 2 of the Policy for more detail.
Who should complete this tool?
  • Sections 1-3should be completed by a DHB manager, or representative who is familiar with the Policy.
  • Section 4is for the food retail or catering provider manager to complete.
If there are multiple providers within the DHB, this section should be completed by each of them independently.
District Health Board: / Date of Completion (Sections 1-3):
Name, Position of DHB Representative:
National Healthy Food & Drink Policy Endorsement Date:
Policy Implementation Start Date:
  1. Healthy Food and Drink POLICY
/ Yes / No / Comments / Actions
1.1Do all Health Service Providers contracted by the DHB have the HealthyFood and Drink Policyincluded in their contract?
1.2 If your staff/retail food providers are outsourced to an external provider:
a)Does their contract with the DHB include a clause that they must comply with the Policy?
b)Comment on their processes in place to support compliance with the Policy. (E.g. are they using this tool, how often?)
c)Will there be a mandatory clause for all new/renewed food provision contracts?
1.3 If your staff/retail food provider is in-house:
a)Does their contract with the DHB include a clause that they must comply with the Policy?
  1. Healthy Food and Drink SCOPE
/ Yes / No / Comments / Actions
2.1 Are there processes in place to ensure that other external parties (e.g. volunteers, caterers…) provide food and drink on-site are consistent with the Policy?
2.2 Are there processes in place to ensure that fundraisers - where food and drinks are sold or intended for consumption on DHB premises – align with the Policy?
2.3 Do all gifts, rewards and incentives offered to staff, guest speakersand/or formal visitors on behalf of the DHB align withthe Policy?
2.4 Does your organisation encourage relationships and/or brands that are consistent with the Policy? E.g. signage on vending machines, partnerships with products that are consistent with a healthy food and drink environment.
2.5 Does your organisation promote and raise awareness of the Policyto staff, visitors and the general public? Please give examples; via the intranet, external website, or displaying promotional resources
  1. Healthy Food and Drink FACILITIES
/ Yes / No / Comments / Actions
3.1 Do your staff have reasonable access to food storage facilities, e.g. fridges, lockers/cupboards?
3.2 Do your staff have reasonable access to heating appliances, e.g. a microwave?
3.3 Does your organisation provide access to free drinking water (tap water and/or water fountains) for all staff members and visitors?
3.4 Are staff encouraged to bring their own water bottle?
3.5 Where water coolers are in place, does your organisation provideenvironmentally friendly / recyclable options (e.g. cups) for water dispensing?
3.6 Does your organisation actively promote andsupport breastfeeding in the workplace by:
a)Providing suitable areas that may be used for breastfeeding and/or expressing and storing milk?
b)Where reasonable, providing suitable breaks for staff who wish to breastfeed during work hours?
Food Service / Retail Organisation: / Date & Time (Section 4):
Name, Position:

Is the healthy choice the easy choice – where easy means visible & affordable?

4. Healthy Food and Drink PRINCIPLES & CRITERIA / Yes / No / Comment / Successes / Challenges
4.1 Does your food and drink environment provide a range of healthy choices appropriate for a variety of dietary requirements such as:
●Vegetarians
●Vegans
●Gluten free
●Cultural preferences
  • Religious beliefs

4.2 Overall, can you select food items (e.g. main dishes, side dishes, sandwiches, salads) that have vegetables as an ingredientin more than half of the options available?
4.3 Is fruit available, including fresh, pouches and no added sugar canned fruit?
4.4 Do you offer wholegrain / wholemeal / wheat-meal breads or crackers?
a)What proportion of bread or cracker items arewholegrain / wholemeal or wheat-meal?
All (100%), most (> 55%), some (< 45%), none (0) or n/a
Healthy Food and Drink PRINCIPLES & CRITERIA (cont.) / Yes / No / Comment / Successes / Challenges
4.5 When cereal/ starchy foods are on the menu, what proportion are wholegrain and high fibre varieties (e.g. brown rice, wholemeal pasta, quinoa, etc.)?
All (100%), most (> 55%), some (< 45%), none (0) or n/a
4.6 Do you offer reduced fat yoghurt, dairy products or dairy alternatives?
4.7 Can you select unprocessed lean meats in main dishes, salads& sandwiches?
4.8 When processed or cured meats (smoked fish, smoked chicken, sausages, ham, bacon, and corned beef) are part of
a)Sandwiches and salads; is the portion ≤50g?
b)Main meals; is the portion ≤120g?
c)When sausages are part of a meal, is the portion ≤2 sausages (= 150g) per meal?
4.9 Is there always a choice of vegetarian protein options (chick peas, dried beans, hummus and tofu) available in main dishes, salads & sandwiches?
4.10 Are deep fried foods (such as hot chips, fish, hash browns, samosa) offered?
4.11 Do you sell confectionery or chocolate?
4.12 Do you sell sugar sweetened drinks?
a)If yes, what sugar sweetened drinks do you sell?
Healthy Food and Drink PRINCIPLES & CRITERIA (cont.) / Yes / No / Comment / Successes / Challenges
4.13 Of the total drinks available, what proportion are water and unflavoured milk/milk alternatives?
All (100%), most (> 55%), some (< 45%), none (0) or n/a
4.14 Do you sell packaged snack foods, e.g. fruit, nuts (incl. mixes & snack bars), popcorn or chips?
a)If yes, what proportion of packaged snacks meets the criteria, i.e. ≤800kJ/packet and ≥3.5 Health Stars?
All (100%), most (> 55%), some (< 45%), none (0) or n/a
4.15 Do bakery items meet the criteria for portion size? (refer to p.14 of Policy)
a)Of all the bakery items sold, what quantity meets the criteria for ingredients, i.e.
-contain wholemeal / wholegrains
-contain fruit or vegetables
-do NOT contain confectionery or chocolate
-no or minimal icing is used
All (100%), most (> 55%), some (< 45%), none (0) or n/a
4.16 Overall, in this food outlet, are green, healthy, choices displayed clearly at eye level on shelves, benches, cabinets, etc?
4.17 Do you encourage customer feedback?
Please comment on what feedback processes you use, e.g. survey, visible access to website…

29 September 20171