The Heart Foundation Tick is a self-funded public health program which aims to improve the nutrition of the foods Australians eat most often and deliver better nutritional health outcomes for all Australians.
What the Tick means
Foods bearing the Tick CERT TM meet the Tick Program’s strict nutritional criteria and represent choices that are lower in certain nutrients (eg saturated fat, sodium) and/or higher in others (eg fibre) compared with other foods in the same food category.
The values selected for the various criteria for approval of foods into the Heart Foundation Tick program are not necessarily appropriate for people with heart disease or any other disease. The Tick Guidelines are not a substitute for individual nutritional advice from a qualified dietitian.
Tick key nutrient criteria
Our criteria aim to:
decrease levels of one or more of
-
total fat, saturated fat, trans fatty acids, partially hydrogenated fat,
-
sodium
-
lower energy density and appropriate serve sizes
increase levels of one or more of
- dietary fibre and/or vegetables and/or wholegrains
- calcium (for soy products and dairy alternatives)
- protein
- % ingredients
….when compared with foods within the same category.
Review process
The Tick criteria represent challenging yet achievable standards for industry and are developed using a comprehensive examination of current market nutrition levels combined with an analysis of public health priorities for each food category as well as technical and market feasibilities.
How the criteria are set
We use a comprehensive process to develop (and review) the criteria. The main underlying principles are that the criteria must:
- reflect the nutritional objectives for the category,
- be challenging, and
- be achievable.
Range of nutrients
The criteria for the Tick, by covering a range of nutrients, ensure against dietary distortion – that is, while they are ‘qualifying criteria’ they also act as ‘disqualifying criteria’.
Ongoing public health impact
The most recent review of the category criteria is expected to be completed by the end of 2010.
For more detailed information 
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Examples of criteria
Following are examples of the Heart Foundation Tick criteria for food categories in the supermarket sector.
Edible oil spreads
Vegetable oil
Vegetable juice
Fruit juice
Ready meals - other
Ready meals - canned meat meals
Bread
Breakfast cereals
Cheese
Sweet biscuits
Nut & seed bars
Abbreviations
Copyright. All rights in the Guidelines for Tick Approval (including copyright) are owned by the Heart Foundation. The Tick Guidelines (and related documentation) should not be used other than for the purposes of assessing a product for potential Tick approval.