Australia news live: poor hospital food adding to health costs; suspected crocodile remains found on Adelaide roadside | Australia news
Inadequate hospital food increases healthcare costs, report finds
Natasha May
Australian governments spend $2.13 billion each year feeding people in hospitals, aged care facilities and other public settings, according to a new report; This means poor quality food, which contributes to poor nutrition and long-term health costs.
This investment (equivalent to $6 million a day) is one of the most powerful policy tools available to governments to improve national health outcomes, but the focus is currently almost entirely on cost and scale, according to the report, Transforming the Public Plate.
Commissioned by the philanthropic organization Macdoch Foundation and published by the newly formed Good Food Purchasing Australia (GFPA) initiative, it found that public food procurement is dominated by large suppliers and multinational corporations, with limited ways for small, medium, local and First Nations producers to participate.
The authors say Australia has fallen behind other comparable countries, such as the UK, EU and parts of the US, due to the lack of a national standards framework that would deliver better results from public food spending.
Indeed, when the Guardian surveyed hospital food around the world, Australia’s offering paled in comparison to healthier options abroad. And a big part of the problem wasn’t using fresh food, but outsourcing meal prep services to private companies to be mass produced and delivered frozen.
important events
Flight from Melbourne to Thailand diverted after passenger’s alleged behavior
Ima Caldwell
A 37-year-old woman appeared in court on Monday after her disruptive behavior allegedly forced an international flight to Thailand to divert to Perth.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) said airline staff alerted them to an incident on Sunday in which the passenger allegedly “acted in an increasingly erratic manner… then became verbally abusive to passengers and cabin crew”.
The flight was diverted to Perth airport; where AFP officers boarded the plane and removed the woman, who allegedly refused to exit the plane.
The woman, who appeared in the Perth Magistrates Court on Monday, was charged with aggressive and disorderly behavior that endangered safety on an aircraft. The maximum penalty for the crime is a $16,500 fine. He will appear in court again on May 11.
Good morning, Nick Visser I’m here to take over the blog. Let’s get to the point.
Suspicious crocodile remains dumped on roadside in Adelaide
Ima Caldwell
Reptile remains believed to be from a crocodile were found dumped on the roadside in Adelaide.
A spokesperson for the province’s environment and water department confirmed in a statement that department staff “collected the remains of a reptile at Waterloo Corner.” They said:
Remains dumped on the side of the road on Coleman Road will be analyzed to confirm species and other information.
It is not yet known how the remains were placed in the area.
The Ministry asked anyone with information to visit Call it Out wildlife crime portalor contact CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000.
Food supplied to hospitals and care homes at risk due to fuel crisis
The authors say this is the first comprehensive assessment of public food intake in Australia. Leah Galvinsays GFPA co-chair and co-author of the report:
A different approach could increase the use of fresh, local produce, direct spending to Australian farmers and producers, support people working in public food service kitchens and deliver real benefits for Australia.
The authors also highlight that the report’s publication was anticipated given that Australia’s food system and supply chains, including food supplied to public institutions such as hospitals and aged care centres, are at risk of collapse due to the fuel crisis triggered by the war in Iran.
Dheepa Jeyapalan, The co-chair of the GFPA and one of the authors of the report also says:
Better public food procurement is not about spending more, it is about spending smarter. The evidence is clear, public support is strong, and solutions exist. Given the threat to our food system posed by the global fuel and fertilizer crisis, now is the time for leadership.
Health experts have previously warned governments that there needs to be a national food policy movement away from multinational corporations and towards healthier, more local food systems.
Inadequate hospital food increases healthcare costs, report finds
Natasha May
Australian governments spend $2.13 billion each year feeding people in hospitals, aged care facilities and other public settings, according to a new report; This means poor quality food, which contributes to poor nutrition and long-term health costs.
This investment (equivalent to $6 million a day) is one of the most powerful policy tools available to governments to improve national health outcomes, but the focus is currently almost entirely on cost and scale, according to the report, Transforming the Public Plate.
Commissioned by the philanthropic organization Macdoch Foundation and published by the newly formed Good Food Purchasing Australia (GFPA) initiative, it found that public food procurement is dominated by large suppliers and multinational corporations, with limited ways for small, medium, local and First Nations producers to participate.
The authors say Australia has fallen behind other comparable countries, such as the UK, EU and parts of the US, due to the lack of a national standards framework that would deliver better results from public food spending.
Indeed, when the Guardian surveyed hospital food around the world, Australia’s offering paled in comparison to healthier options abroad. And a big part of the problem wasn’t using fresh food, but outsourcing meal prep services to private companies to be mass produced and delivered frozen.
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Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I Martin Farrer with the best night stories and then it will be Nick Visser with the main action.
