Deakin University is transforming its food environment and has successfully introduced healthy vending machines across all campuses celebrating a 1.3 tonne reduction in sugar sold through beverage vending sales within the first year.
Deakin University participated in an Achievement Program pilot program for complex organisations, designed to break down the healthy eating priority area into food source environments. Promoting healthy eating in complex organisations, such as universities, can be especially challenging as there are multiple food sources including catering, vending and food retail.
Using the Achievement Program benchmarks and supported by the Healthy Eating Advisory Service, Deakin has achieved some fantastic milestones and is now well on the way to achieving recognition for the Achievement Program’s Healthy Eating health priority area.
An important development has been the creation and implementation of the Deakin Food Charter - a unique framework that guides and promotes a balanced, healthy and inclusive approach to food and food environments across all campuses.
Currently, all 84 of Deakin University’s vending machines and four of its 15 retail outlets now meet the Healthy Choices Guidelines. "We're proud of the steps we've taken towards enhancing the health and wellbeing of staff and students and the general Deakin community, through the introduction of a healthier food environment" said Chris Jones, Executive Director Campus Services Division.
Accelerating the implementation of healthy food (and drink) supply policies in all key public settings is a strategic action to increase healthy eating under the Victorian public health and wellbeing plan 2019–2023. Evidence-based guidance to assist partners in the implementation of actions to increase healthy eating across a range of settings including early childhood settings and schools, local government, health and human services and workplaces is available here.
You can read more about Deakin University’s journey. Universities and organisations can apply a whole-of-service approach to be a healthy setting through implementation of the Achievement Program. For more info on the Achievement Program, visit the website.