INTRODUCTION
Thank you for taking the time to participate in this activity. As you will see from
this presentation, effective nutrition counselling by GPs plays an important role
in public health.
This presentation contains 47 slides on nutrition counselling and education, and
should take 1 hour to complete. During the presentation, you will be asked
some questions. Please print the ‘answer sheet’ pdf (to open using hyperlink,
place cursor over hyperlinked words, right click mouse and select ‘open
hyperlink’) and record your answers on it.
This activity is an RACGP-accredited Category 2 activity. To receive 2
Category 2 points, please print and complete the evaluation form. Please fax
this and the completed answer sheet to Discovery Sydney (02 9925 3748).
At the conclusion of this activity, there will be a short presentation (9 slides) on
the role of chicken in a healthy diet. We hope the information will be of
assistance to you when advising your patients about a healthy diet.
NUTRITION COUNSELLING
AND EDUCATION:
WHY,WHO & HOW?
Proudly sponsored by the Australian Chicken Meat Federation Inc
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Understand the importance of the GP’s
role in providing nutrition counselling
• Learn how to optimise patient nutrition
counselling sessions
• Consider system changes to improve the
effectiveness of nutrition counselling in
your practice
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
• Why is nutrition education important?
• Who should deliver nutrition education?
• What do GPs think and do about nutrition
counselling?
• How should nutrition counselling be
delivered?
• What are the obstacles to nutrition
counselling?
WHY IS NUTRITION EDUCATION
IMPORTANT?
• Established knowledge: nutrition plays an important role
in the aetiology and management of many diseases
affecting Australians1
• In 2003, a significant proportion of the burden of disease
in Australia was directly attributable to nutrition2:
Health risk
Proportion of total
burden (%)
High body mass
7.5
Inadequate consumption of vegetables and fruit
2.1
High blood cholesterol
6.2
Reference: 1. National Public Health Partnership. Eat Well Australia. Canberra: Strategic InterGovernmental Nutrition Alliance (SIGNAL). 2001; 2. Begg S, et al. The burden of disease and injury in
Australia 2003. PHE 82. Canberra: AIHW. 2007
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
• Why is nutrition education important?
• Who should deliver nutrition education?
• What do GPs think and do about nutrition
counselling?
• How should nutrition counselling be
delivered?
• What are the obstacles to nutrition
counselling?
WHO SHOULD DELIVER NUTRITION
EDUCATION?
• GPs have the potential to decrease morbidity and
mortality for many chronic diseases if they provide
effective nutrition counselling1
• Reasons include:
• GPs are public health agents who see 80% of the population
each year2
• 54.7% of GP/adult encounters involve overweight or obese
people3
• GPs are often long-term advisers who gain access to the daily
lives and living conditions of all strata of the population4
• GPs are highly regarded as a reliable source of nutrition
information5
Reference: 1. Eaton CB et al. J Nutr. 2003 Feb;133:563S-6S; 2. Commonwealth Department of Health and Family Services
(CDH & FS): General practice. Changing the future partnerships. Report of the General Practice Strategy Review Group.
Canberra: Pine Printers, 1998; 3. Britt H, et al. General practice activity in Australia 2002–2003. AIHW Cat No GEP 14.
Canberra: AGPS, 2003. 4. Watt GCM. BMJ. 1996;312:1026-9; 5. Worsley A. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1999;53 Suppl 2:S101-7
GP AS IMPORTANT AS DIETICIANS
IN NUTRITION COUNSELLING (1)
• An Australian randomised control trial compared
clinical outcomes in patients (N=273) with one or
more chronic conditions (overweight,
hypertension, Type 2 diabetes)
• Interventions:
– Dietician counselled: 6 sessions over 12 months
– GP+dietician counselled: 6 sessions with dietician
and GP reviewed progress in 2 of the 6 sessions,
over 12 months
– Control: no dietician counselling, usual care by GP
Reference: 1. Pritchard DA, et al. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1999;53:311-6
GP AS IMPORTANT AS DIETICIANS
IN NUTRITION COUNSELLING (2)
Results:
– Both intervention groups reduced weight and
blood pressure compared with controls
– Compared with patients counselled by
dietician alone, patients counselled by
GP+dietician were:
• More likely to complete the intervention
programme
• Lost more weight (6.7kg vs 5.6kg)
Reference: 1. Pritchard DA, et al. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1999;53(5):311-6
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
• Why is nutrition education important?
• Who should deliver nutrition education?
• What do GPs think and do about nutrition
counselling?
• How should nutrition counselling be
delivered?
• What are the obstacles to nutrition
counselling?
WHAT DO GPS THINK AND DO ABOUT
NUTRITION COUNSELLING? (1)
• A survey of GPs showed 72% thought it
was their responsibility to perform nutrition
counselling1
• On average, in 10-15 min consultations,
the time spent on nutrition counselling was
found to be 1 min2,3
• In Australia, nutrition counselling is below
a desirable level and/or national targets4
Reference: 1. Kushner RF. Prev Med 1995;24: 546–50 ; 2. Eaton CB, et al. Am J Prev Med. 2002; 23: 174–9; 3. Glanz K, et
al. J Gen Intern Med. 1995;10:89–92; 4. RACGP ‘Green Book’ Project Advisory Committee. Putting prevention into practice:
Guidelines for the implementation of prevention in the general practice setting. 2 nd edn. South Melbourne: RACGP. 2006
WHAT DO GPS THINK AND DO ABOUT
NUTRITION COUNSELLING? (2)
• A survey of GPs in NSW showed nutrition counselling
was provided mostly for diabetes, lipid disorders and
obesity1:
Disease
% of GPs who ‘strongly agreed’ to
providing nutrition counselling
Diabetes
79
Lipid disorders
71
Obesity
68
Ischaemic heart disease
46
Overweight
45
Hypertension
22
Reference: 1. Nicholas L, et al. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2005;59 Suppl 1:S140-5
QUESTION 1
• The Australian study by Pritchard et al.
showed that patients counselled by
GP+dietician were equally likely to
complete the intervention programme,
compared with patients counselled by
dietician alone
 True
 False
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
• Why is nutrition education important?
• Who should deliver nutrition education?
• What do GPs think and do about nutrition
counselling?
• How should nutrition counselling be
delivered?
• What are the obstacles to nutrition
counselling?
HOW SHOULD NUTRITION
COUNSELLING BE DELIVERED?
To maximise patient motivation and adherence:
• Consider factors that increase the effectiveness
of patient education
• Take a patient-centred approach
• Assess patient’s readiness to change: ‘stages of
change’ model
• Use motivational interviewing
(These topics are covered in the following few slides)
FACTORS THAT INCREASE THE
EFFECTIVENESS OF PATIENT EDUCATION (1)
• A patient’s sense of trust in their GP1
• Face-to-face delivery2
• Patient involvement in the decisionmaking3,4
– See “A patient-centred approach”
• Highlighting the benefits and costs5,6
– See “Motivational interviewing”
Reference: 1. Trachtenberg F, et al. J Fam Pract. 2005;54:344–52; 2. Ellis S. Pat Educ Couns. 2004;52:97–105;
3.Mead N, et al. Patient Educ Counsel. 2002;48(1):51–61; 4. Rao J, et al. Arch Fam Med. 2000;9:1148–55; 5. Littel J,
et al. Behav Modif. 2002;26:223–73; 6. Schauffler H, et al. J Fam Pract. 1996;42:62–8
FACTORS THAT INCREASE THE
EFFECTIVENESS OF PATIENT EDUCATION (2)
• Strategies to assist patients remembering
what they have been told1
e.g. patient leaflet, summarise goals at the end of the
consultation
• Tailoring information to the patient’s
interest in change2
• Strategies that address the difficulty in
adherence3,4
Reference: 1. Ley P. Patients’ understanding and recall in clinical communication failure. In: Pendleton D, Hasler J, editors.
Doctor-patient communication. London: Academic Press, 1983; 2. Steptoe A, et al. Am J Public Health. 2001;91:265–9;
3. Rao J, et al. Arch Fam Med. 2000;9:1148–55 ; 4. Branch L, et al. Med Care. 2000;38:70–7
A PATIENT-CENTRED APPROACH (1)
A patient-centred approach involves1:
– Actively involving the patient in the
consultation
– Respecting the patient’s autonomy
– Encouraging the patient’s role in decision
making
– Embracing a more holistic approach that
includes health promotion and disease
prevention
Reference: 1. RACGP ‘Green Book’ Project Advisory Committee. Putting prevention into practice:
Guidelines for the implementation of prevention in the general practice setting. 2nd edn. South Melbourne: RACGP. 2006
A PATIENT-CENTRED APPROACH (2)
Encouraging more active patient involvement and
inclusion in the consultation has a number of
benefits:
– Clarification of what is expected of you by the patient1
– Stronger patient autonomy, patient responsibility and
patient self management2,3
– Increased patient and doctor satisfaction1
– Enhances the quality of communication4,5
– Better adherence to the recommended prevention
activities5,6
Reference: 1. Grol R. Improving practice. A systematic approach to implementation of change in patient care. Oxford:
Elsevier Science, 2004; 2. Shortell S, et al. Milbank Q. 1998;76:1–37; 3. Gold M, et al. J Fam Prac. 1990;30:639–44; 4. Tan S. The collaborative
method: ensuring diffusion of quality improvement in health care: Report on the Collaborative Workshop, June 2003; 5. King L. Review of literature on
dissemination and research on health promotion and illness/injury prevention activities. In: Sydney National Centre for Health Promotion, Department
Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Sydney, 1995; 6. Ferrence R. Can J Public Health. 1996;87:S24–7
PATIENT’S READINESS TO CHANGE:
‘STAGES OF CHANGE’ MODEL (1)
“The ‘stages of change’ model1 identifies 5 basic
stages of change that are viewed as a cyclical,
ongoing process during which the person has
differing levels of motivation and readiness to
change and the ability to relapse or repeat a stage.
Each time the stage is repeated, the person learns
from the experience and gains skills to help them
move onto the next stage.”2
Reference: 1. Tenove S. Can J Nurs Res. 1999;31:95–9; 2. RACGP ‘Green Book’ Project Advisory Committee. Putting
prevention into practice: Guidelines for the implementation of prevention in the general practice setting. 2nd edn. South
Melbourne: RACGP. 2006
PATIENT’S READINESS TO CHANGE:
‘STAGES OF CHANGE’ MODEL (2)
Adapted from RACGP ‘Green Book’2
Stages of change1:
• Precontemplation: the person
does not consider the need to
change
• Contemplation: the person
considers changing a specific
behaviour
• Determination: the person
makes a serious commitment
to change
• Action: change begins (large or
small)
• Maintenance: change is
sustained over a period of time
Reference: 1. RACGP ‘Red Book’ Taskforce. Guidelines for preventive activities in general practice. 6th edn. South
Melbourne: RACGP. 2005; 2. RACGP ‘Green Book’ Project Advisory Committee. Putting prevention into practice:
Guidelines for the implementation of prevention in the general practice setting. 2nd edn. South Melbourne: RACGP. 2006
QUESTION 2
• Which stage of change is reflected in these comments?
Patient comment
“I don’t feel the need to adjust my diet”
“I have started to drink water instead of soft
drinks”
“I think I should start reducing my salt intake”
Stage of change
MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING (1)
• Definition: ‘a directive, patient centred
counselling style for eliciting behaviour change
by helping patients to explore and resolve
ambivalence’1
• Motivational interviewing1:
– Has been shown to be effective in a number of areas
in the primary care setting, including nutrition and diet
– Is a useful approach when patients show a degree of
ambivalence
Reference: 1. RACGP ‘Green Book’ Project Advisory Committee. Putting prevention into practice:
Guidelines for the implementation of prevention in the general practice setting. 2nd edn. South Melbourne: RACGP. 2006
MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING (2)
Systematically directing the
patient toward motivation
to change
Offering advice and
feedback when appropriate
Motivational
Interviewing
Selectively using empathetic
reflection to reinforce certain
processes
Seeking to elicit and amplify the patient’s
discrepancies about their health related
behaviour to enhance motivation to
change
Reference: 1. RACGP ‘Green Book’ Project Advisory Committee. Putting prevention into practice:
Guidelines for the implementation of prevention in the general practice setting. 2nd edn. South Melbourne: RACGP. 2006
MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING
STRATEGIES (1)
• Regard the person’s behaviour as their personal choice
– Ambivalence is normal
• Let the patient decide how much of a problem they have
– Explore both the benefits and costs associated with the problem
as perceived by the patient
– Encourage the patient to rate their motivation to change out of 10
and explore how to increase this score
Reference: 1. RACGP ‘Green Book’ Project Advisory Committee. Putting prevention into practice:
Guidelines for the implementation of prevention in the general practice setting. 2nd edn. South Melbourne: RACGP. 2006
MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING
STRATEGIES (2)
• Avoid arguments and confrontation
– Confrontation, making judgments or moving ahead of the patient
generates resistance and tends to entrench attitudes and
behaviour
• Encourage discrepancy
– Change is likely when a person’s behaviour conflicts with their
values and what they want
– The aim of motivational interviewing is to encourage this
confrontation to occur within the patient, not between the doctor
and patient
– Highlighting any discrepancy encourages a sense of internal
discomfort (cognitive dissonance) and helps to shift the patient’s
motivation
– When highlighting the discrepancy, in the first instance, let the
patient make the connection
Reference: 1. RACGP ‘Green Book’ Project Advisory Committee. Putting prevention into practice:
Guidelines for the implementation of prevention in the general practice setting. 2nd edn. South Melbourne: RACGP. 2006
QUESTION 3
What are the four components of motivational interviewing?
(Insert the correct words in the spaces below. Record your answers on your answer sheet.)
WORDS: motivation, elicit, advice, discrepancies, feedback, empathetic,
amplify, processes, change, systematically.
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
________directing the patient toward _______to change.
Seeking to ______and ______the patient’s __________about their health
related behaviour to enhance motivation to ______.
Selectively using _______reflection to reinforce certain _________.
Offering ______ and _______when appropriate.
THE 5-STEP MODEL
An effective way to incorporate the elements
of nutrition counselling presented in the last
few slides is to use the 5As1,2:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Ask (or address)
Assess
Advise
Assist
Arrange
Reference: 1. Ockene I, et al. Arch Intern Med 159:725-31; 2. RACGP National Standing Committee. SNAP: A population
health guide to behavioural risk factors in general practice. South Melbourne: RACGP. 2004
CASE SCENARIO: USING THE 5As
1. Address the agenda:
“Your blood test results show your cholesterol
levels have increased substantially since
your last test. I think we should review your
eating habits and try to make some
improvements.”
Reference: 1. Ockene I, et al. Arch Intern Med. 1999;159:725-31
2. Assess patient’s readiness to change and
relevant diet experience:
“How do you feel about
making some changes to
your diet?”
“Can you think of some recent
changes in your eating habits
that may have contributed to
the rise in cholesterol?”
3. Advise:
“Based on your health risks
and current diet, let’s focus
on lowering your fat intake
and adding a few more
vegies to your diet.”
“To help you understand how important
this is for your heart, I’ll tell you about a
study that was done in America a few
years back. The study looked at about
45,000 men over an 8-year period. They
found that those who were most likely to
develop heart disease ate more red
meat, processed meat, refined grains,
sweets, French fries, and high-fat dairy
products. In comparison, the group that
had the lowest risk of heart disease ate
more vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole
grains, fish, and poultry.1”
Reference: 1. Hu FB, et al. Am J Clin Nutr 2000; 72: 912-921
“Here are some
information sheets to
get you started. On the
back, there are
suggestions about how
you can reduce your fat
intake and other
healthy eating habits.”
Reference: 1. National Heart Foundation of Australia. Dietary fats and heart disease. 2004. Available at:
http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/document/NHF/nrcr_diet_fats_mar04.pdf; 2. myDr.com.au. Eating for a healthy heart.
Available at:: http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?article=3105
“I’m going to give you some fill out at home…This is something that I get
my patients to fill out when they have to change their behaviour. It’s called a
decision balance. Think about what you would like and dislike about not
making any changes to your diet and then do the same for making
changes. It helps you to weigh up the pros and cons. We can talk about
your answers when you bring it back at your next visit.”
Decision Balance1
Like
Dislike
Stay the same
e.g. get to eat what I
want, tastes nice
e.g. continue increasing
my health risks
Change (e.g.
changing diet)
e.g. better for my heart e.g. inconvenient to
and overall health, lose prepare food, always
weight?
having to think about
what I eat
Click here to open and print a blank Decision Balance form, which you can give to your patients
Reference: 1. RACGP ‘Green Book’ Project Advisory Committee. Putting prevention into practice:
Guidelines for the implementation of prevention in the general practice setting. 2nd edn. South Melbourne: RACGP. 2006
4. Assist:
“How about we try to
start with two or
three of these Heart
Foundation
recommendations.1”
“Which of these do you
feel you are most likely
to stick to?”
“What do you think will be the
main difficulties in changing
your diet?”
Reference: 1. National Heart Foundation of Australia. Dietary fats and heart disease. 2004
5. Arrange follow-up:
“If you feel you need
more help, I can refer
you to a dietician.”
“Otherwise, I’d like to
see how you’re going in
about a month’s time.”
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
• Why is nutrition education important?
• Who should deliver nutrition education?
• What do GPs think and do about nutrition
counselling?
• How should nutrition counselling be
delivered?
• What are the obstacles to nutrition
counselling?
WHAT ARE THE OBSTACLES TO
NUTRITION COUNSELLING?
Lack of time
Lack of confidence
Lack of knowledge
Common obstacles
identified by GPs
Financial obstacles
Patients’ attitudes
Reference: 1. Nicholas L. Aus Family Phys 2004;33:957-9; 2. Judd H, et al. Management of obesity in general practice:
Report from the nutrition fellowship 1987. Sydney, Australia: RACGP, 1988.
OVERCOME OBSTACLES THROUGH
PRACTICE ORGANISATION (1)
The above obstacles can be overcome to
some extent by the development of a
preventive program that includes1:
– Setting practice priorities
– Listing what roles each practice member
currently undertakes and how nutrition
counselling can be integrated into existing
roles and responsibilities
Reference: 1. RACGP National Standing Committee. SNAP: A population health guide to behavioural risk factors in general
practice. South Melbourne: RACGP. 2004
OVERCOME OBSTACLES THROUGH
PRACTICE ORGANISATION (2)
– Reviewing the way in which appointments and
follow up are arranged
– Establishing information systems to support
nutrition counselling (e.g. updating and
managing tools and patient education
materials)
– Conducting ongoing quality improvement
programs (e.g. audits)
– Developing links with local services (e.g.
dieticians)
Reference: 1. RACGP National Standing Committee. SNAP: A population health guide to behavioural risk factors in general
practice. South Melbourne: RACGP. 2004
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES (1)
Interventions for behavioural risk factors,
such as nutrition, can be part of a successful
business model for GPs. It can be an
attractive component of practice programs to
encourage patients to attend the practice.1
Reference: 1. RACGP National Standing Committee. SNAP: A population health guide to behavioural risk factors in general
practice. South Melbourne: RACGP. 2004
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES (2)
There are a number of commonwealth programs that may help
provide financial support. These include:
– Practice Incentive Program (PIP) incentives to incentives for
establishment of chronic disease register and recall systems
(www.hic.gov.au/providers/incentives_allowances/pip/new_incentives.h
tm)
– The program to help fund practice nurses in rural practices
(www.hic.gov.au/providers/incentives_allowances/pip/new_incentives/n
urse_incentive.htm)
– Under Medicare, EPC care planning services attract a Medicare
rebate. An EPC multidisciplinary care plan may only be provided to
patients with at least one chronic or terminal medical condition AND
complex care needs requiring multidisciplinary care from a team of
health care providers including the patient’s GP
(www.health.gov.au/epc/careplan.htm)
QUESTION 4
i.
ii.
iii.
How often do you assess diet in patient’s with health
risks?
How often do you provide verbal nutrition advice to
these patients?
How often do you offer referral for nutrition
counselling?
Answers to be indicated on answer sheet as:
 Very frequently  Frequently  Sometimes  Rarely  Don’t know
QUESTION 5
What types of patient education materials
does your practice have concerning
nutrition? (Tick all applicable)
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Pamphlet/booklet
Computerised leaflet (e.g. pdf files)
Posters
Videos
Other
QUESTION 6
What proportion of your patients from
culturally and linguistically diverse
backgrounds are able to read and/or
understand the patient nutrition
information materials?
Answers to be indicated on answer sheet as:
 All
 Most
 Some
 Few
 Don’t know
QUESTION 7
Think of two changes that you can make to
your practice systems to better support or
improve the effectiveness of nutrition
counselling sessions. Write these down in
the space provided.
SUMMARY
• Nutrition plays an important role in the aetiology and management of
many diseases affecting Australians1
• GPs, along with dieticians, are at the forefront of providing nutrition
management in Australia2
• In Australia, nutrition counselling is below a desirable level and/or
national targets3
• When counselling about nutrition, use strategies and tools that
maximise patient motivation and adherence4
• Some obstacles to effective nutrition counselling can be overcome
through practice organisation4
• There are financial incentives for the management of behavioural
risk factors4
1. National Public Health Partnership. Eat Well Australia. Canberra: Strategic Inter-Governmental Nutrition Alliance (SIGNAL). 2001;
2. Nicholas L. Aus Family Phys 2004;33:957-9; 3. RACGP ‘Green Book’ Project Advisory Committee. Putting prevention into
practice: Guidelines for the implementation of prevention in the general practice setting. 2nd edn. South Melbourne: RACGP. 2006 ;
4. RACGP National Standing Committee. SNAP: A population health guide to behavioural risk factors in general practice. South
Melbourne: RACGP. 2004
THANK YOU FOR COMPLETING
THIS ACTIVITY!
The next few slides will highlight the role of
chicken in a healthy diet. We hope this
update is useful when advising your patients.
Printable PDFs of patient education materials
are available at the end of this presentation.
THE ROLE OF CHICKEN
IN HEALTHY DIETS
CHICKEN DELIVERS IMPORTANT
NUTRIENTS
Lean chicken meat:
Delivers essential
vitamins and minerals
An excellent
source of protein
Over 55% of the total fat
content is unsaturated fat
Reference: 1. Food, Health and Nutrition: Where Does Chicken Fit? www.chicken.org.au
HOW DOES LEAN CHICKEN COMPARE WITH
OTHER LEAN MEATS?
Stir-fried lean chicken breast has the lowest total
fat content compared to other meat sources
Stir-fried lean chicken breast contains more than
55% unsaturated fatty acids
Stir-fried lean chicken breast provides
higher amounts of niacin equivalents than
other lean stir-fry cuts of meat
Reference: 1. Food, Health and Nutrition: Where Does Chicken Fit? www.chicken.org.au
CHICKEN CONTRIBUTES TO NUTRIENT
REQUIREMENTS
Lean chicken breast provides >50% RDI of
protein for most people
Lean chicken breast is a good source of
magnesium and zinc for pre-pubescent children
Baked lean chicken breast provides 110–147% of
daily niacin requirements
Reference: 1. Food, Health and Nutrition: Where Does Chicken Fit? www.chicken.org.au
Lean chicken for cardiovascular health
A diet that emphasised chicken and fish,
rather than red meat, and included nuts,
low-fat diary products and high proportions
of fruit and vegetables, was shown to be
effective in lowering blood pressure,
particularly in people with hypertension.1
Reference: 1. Sacks FM, et al. Clin Cardiol. 1999 Jul;22(7 Suppl):III6-10.
POULTRY CONSUMPTION IS
INCREASING IN AUSTRALIA
1
Reference: 1. Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics, ABARE Australian Commodity Statistics, 2007
BUSTING THE MYTHS ABOUT CHICKEN (1)
• Size: Through generations of selective breeding and careful
attention to optimal nutrition, today’s chickens are faster growing,
larger and stronger birds
• No added hormones: Hormones are not administered in any form.
Hormone use in growing chickens has been banned in Australia for
many decades
• Responsible use of antibiotics: Antibiotics are used to prevent
and treat disease and their use is carefully managed to minimise
development of resistance and to ensure no residues are detectable
in meat. (Avoparcin and vancomycin are not used by the Australian
chicken meat industry)
Reference: 1. Food, Health and Nutrition: Where Does Chicken Fit? www.chicken.org.au
BUSTING THE MYTHS ABOUT CHICKEN (2)
• No cages: Meat chickens are free to roam on the floor of large
sheds – they are never caged
• Organic and free range production: Free range and organic
chickens are also housed in sheds but may also roam outside the
shed for part of the day. Organic and free range chickens are not
given antibiotics. Organic chickens are only given feed that is
certified organic
• Australian grown: Except for a small proportion of fully cooked
tinned or retorted product, all chicken available for purchase in
Australia is grown in Australia
Reference: 1. Food, Health and Nutrition: Where Does Chicken Fit? www.chicken.org.au
CHICKEN AND AVIAN INFLUENZA
• In recent years a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza, H5N1,
an animal disease, has spread widely among poultry in Asia and
some other countries, but not in Australia.
• The likelihood of an outbreak of this strain of AI in Australian poultry
is extremely low.
• This strain is highly unusual amongst avian influenza strains, in that,
under exceptional circumstances, it can infect humans.
• A high level of preparedness and past experience with AI outbreaks
provide confidence that should the H5N1 strain, or any other AI
strain, get into a local flock, it would be identified and eradicated
quickly.
• In the event of an outbreak in Australian poultry, chicken meat from
infected birds would not reach consumers.
• AI cannot be contracted by eating cooked poultry as the virus would
be destroyed during normal cooking.
Reference: 1. Food, Health and Nutrition: Where Does Chicken Fit? www.chicken.org.au
THANK YOU FOR YOUR
ATTENTION
Please remember to complete your answer sheet and
evaluation form and fax to:
Discovery Sydney
(02) 9925 3748
PRINTABLE PDFs
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Answer sheet
Evaluation form
Decision Balance form
The Facts About Chicken: A Patient’s Guide
Fact Sheet: Busting the myths about chicken
Fact Sheet: Food Safety
Food, Health and Nutrition: Where Does
Chicken Fit?
• The Facts About Chicken: A Dietitian’s Guide
• www.chicken.org.au