EATING INTERNATIONALLY: AUSTRALIA

Associate Professor Helen O’Connor: Accredited Practicing and Sports Dietitian, Fellow of Sports Dietitians Australia, The University of , Australia

Culinary Landscape in Australia Australia has significant culinary diversity, reflecting the multicultural nature of its people. In major capital cities, it is easy to find restaurants from almost all corners of the globe. Cuisines most easy to access include Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Indian, Italian, Greek and Mexican. There are many western favourites such as sandwiches, wraps, roasts and burgers. There is a strong Asian influence in restaurant given our geographical location. Although there are many superb celebrity chefs and high end dining restaurants, the laid back Australian lifestyle makes casual dining popular and there are a Eating Out wide range of lower to mid-range price cafés and Opening Hours of Cafés and Restaurants restaurants. Restaurants and cafés generally open for most of the day (breakfast to dinner). In capital cities, they The warm weather almost year round in most tend to be open early (usually by 9 am, some locations provides plenty of opportunity for al fresco earlier) until late (until 10 pm and some past dining. Take the opportunity to experience some of midnight). Opening hours are usually shorter in our fantastic fresh produce, tropical fruits, diverse regional areas. Fast food restaurants like range of seafood and you may even want to try McDonalds™, KFC™ and pizza chains may have kangaroo or crocodile! If you have a sweet tooth, longer opening hours; some McDonalds™ are open why not try some of our famous sweet treats such as 24 hours. Lamingtons (see recipe provided), Tim Tams™ and Pavlova (Aussies call this a “Pav”). A must try is the salty yeast based spread Vegemite™, best on toast Healthy Options for a snack or breakfast. Most restaurants and cafés now have an appreciation of healthier options and will certainly try to make practical adaptions to dishes (e.g. Weights and Measures used in Australia grilling rather than frying) to help consumers SI units (grams (g), kilograms (kg), millilitres (ml), requesting this. Major fast food chains also try to litres (L), kilojoules (kJ). have some healthier options (e.g., McDonalds™ has wraps and salads). Subway™ is widely available in capital cities. In Australia, many cafés have sandwich bars where you can customise your own sandwich or salad. Sushi bars and cafés boasting a healthy menu are popular. Research where you will be staying to help find the healthy options.

Prepared: Feb 2019 EATING INTERNATIONALLY: AUSTRALIA

Food Delivery to your Door More recently, food delivery from restaurants direct to your door has become even easier with businesses like Uber Eats™, Menu Log™, and Deliveroo™. Check first, as many restaurants offer free delivery over a certain spend if you are staying in the local area. Many restaurants, cafés and fast food outlets have websites with published menus, costs of meals, opening hours and location directions.

Cost of Eating Out, Tipping and ‘BYO’ Cost varies but you can usually get a meal at a café or restaurant in the range of $10-25 AUD for a main meal. Hospitality staff do not rely on tips to earn a sustainable wage so tipping is not mandatory. Australians do tip for good food and service-in Australia, tipping is a compliment!

Another feature of eating out is ‘BYO’ or bring your own alcohol (generally limited to bottled wine). This can be a real cost saving and can allow you to take your favourite wine to a special meal. It is important to check as not all restaurants are BYO, and sometimes, a small bottle opening (called corkage) fee is charged.

Dress Code and Legal Access to Venues Dress code is usually casual (shorts, t-shirt, even flip flops. Be aware, Aussies call flip flop footwear thongs!). Some pubs and clubs and certainly higher end restaurants would require a collared shirt, or at least a t-shirt, for men (not a singlet). Some form of shoe for foot protection (not flip flops) is generally mandatory. Proof of identification (drivers licence or passport) will be needed to enter some pubs and clubs, many of which have reasonably priced meals and cater for large groups. Identification is certainly required where alcohol is served or to purchase alcohol (legal drinking age is 18 years). There are strong legal penalties for hospitality staff (and venues) if they serve or sell alcohol to a minor (or to a person who is intoxicated). A minor would also need to be accompanied and supervised by an adult to enter a pub or club, even if just for dining.

Alcohol Like the diversity in cuisine, a wide range of different alcoholic beverages are available in Australia. Australia is well known for its excellent and diverse range of beers and wines. Low alcohol varieties of these (some beers are as low as 0.5%) are also available. Other than beer in cans (375 ml) or bottles (twist tops 250 ml; stubbies 275 ml, long necks 750 ml), beer sold on tap is either as a middy (285 ml) or schooner (425 ml). Although these terms and volumes can vary a little from state to state, a standard drink in Australia contains 10 g of alcohol (1). EATING INTERNATIONALLY: AUSTRALIA

Food allergy, Intolerances and Special Diets Generally, most cafés and restaurants in capital cities have a reasonable understanding of why a customer might request food that is free of a particular allergen. Most would be familiar with gluten free (and some have special items identified as gluten free on the menu). Other commonly known allergens are lactose (soy, almond or rice milk is typically offered as a replacement in coffee or smoothies) and nut free. It is typically easy to avoid seafood/shellfish and eggs by discussion with hospitality staff or the chef. Restaurants do not legally have to provide allergen information on the menu but some do and this information is usually also on their website. Be aware it may not be 100% accurate but most venues do their best as consumer demand for this has substantially increased.

Ordering vegetarian or vegan should also be relatively easy in larger cafés or restaurants where there is a substantial number of options on the menu. Halal is available in some restaurants but this would best be pre- organised. Many fast-food restaurants such as McDonald’s™ and KFC™ serve Halal meat, chicken and cheese products although, not all are Halal certified. Obtaining Kosher is more challenging but there are commercial businesses in most capital cities that cater for Kosher.

Food Safety in Australia (Food and Water) Australia is considered to have one of the highest standards of in the world. This of course does not mean that is never encountered! Food Standards Australia and New Zealand regulate food standards in both countries and more details on the standards can be found on their website (2). When travelling anywhere globally, including Australia, it is good to use common sense when considering where to eat. Does the venue look clean? Is the hot food kept hot (by a bain-marie) and cold food cold (refrigerated). While food vans and cooked market food should be safe, it may be best with athletes to keep this eating experience until after competition is completed.

Town water in Australia is safe to drink straight from the tap (faucet). In most capital cities, the hardness (mineral content, mostly calcium and magnesium) is soft to medium but water can be harder in some states and regional areas. Water hardness is not a health hazard but it will change the taste! Bottled water is widely available in Australia if preferred but it is not necessary to purchase to avoid microbial contamination. Do not be concerned about using town water to clean teeth, wash fruit or vegetables or have ice in drinks. EATING INTERNATIONALLY: AUSTRALIA

Supermarkets and Farmers Markets There are a number of large and many smaller supermarket chains in Australia. The major ones are Coles™, Woolworths™ (called ‘Woolies’ by Aussies) and Aldi™. These chains also have online ordering and delivery and this feature may be very useful when travelling with athlete teams – the food (fresh produce and canned/frozen or processed products) can be either collected or delivered straight to your door (a delivery fee may be charged). The major chain supermarkets have a range of fresh produce (fruit, vegetables, a bakery fresh meats, poultry, seafood, eggs, milk, cheese and yoghurt) as well as canned, frozen or packaged items (bread, cereal, snack bars). Meat in Australia is generally grazed (not grain fed). Lean or premium cuts are easy to purchase and hormone free meat is also sold in supermarkets. There have been no concerns with contamination of any Australian meat or fresh produce with substances causing a positive drug test.

Major supermarkets are usually open from 7 am to 8 pm, sometimes to 10 pm or midnight. Service (petrol/gas) stations also often have a small supermarket facility and some of these are open 24 hours. Most retail outlets including large department stores in Australian capital cities operate 7 days a week from ~9 am to 6 pm with late night shopping until 9 pm one evening a week. There are some exceptions and hours may be more restricted in rural areas, week-ends and public holidays. However, there is no prolonged period of closure during the day as in some countries. Most major cities and many larger towns have farmers and fish markets selling a wide range of fresh produce. These may open early (6 am). Australians use supermarkets most of the time based on convenience but a trip to local farmers market is always an enjoyable experience.

Food Labelling and Allergens All packaged products sold in supermarkets need to have a nutrition label. Fresh produce (e.g. fish, fruit or vegetables) does not need a label nor does food served in cafés or restaurants. However, larger restaurant (including fast food) chains must provide energy (kJ) menu labelling (3). The level of detail on supermarket food labels varies with the size of the packet (e.g., a small packet of chewing gum does not need a Nutrient Information Panel). Most products do have a Nutrient Information Panel that provides information on the energy (kJ), protein, fat (where relevant main types of fat, saturated or unsaturated) carbohydrate (total and ) and dietary fibre in grams and sodium as milligrams. This information is detailed per serve as well as per 100 g/ml of the food. There is also an ingredient list where the ingredients in the product are listed from highest to lowest by weight (4).

There are 10 common allergens (egg, lupins, milk, peanuts, seafood, sesame, shellfish, soy, tree nuts and wheat) that must be listed (usually in bold near to the ingredient list) on food packets (5). Food additives need to be listed by class name (e.g. colour, flavour) and then either the additive name or number (6). More recently, Australia has introduced front of pack labelling known as the Health Star Rating (7). The more stars (out of 5), generally the healthier the product. It is important to know that products are rated within their own category (e.g. breads with breads) so it is not recommended to compare across categories. EATING INTERNATIONALLY: AUSTRALIA

Sports and Supplements, Supplement Administration (TGA) (9). A recent survey of dietary Contamination and Third Party Testing supplements sold in Australia identified 19% Sports foods (e.g. electrolyte replacement drinks, containing substances banned in sport (10). A liquid meals, sports bars and gels) are usually number of companies have products that have available in supermarkets, gyms and sports retail undergone third party testing and some companies shops (e.g. Rebel Sport™, cycling shops etc.). Some will undertake third party testing when requested. It lines are also sold in chemist (pharmacy/drug) stores. is best to check all supplements through the There are also dedicated supplement, health food Informed Sport website (11) or an app such as stores that sell these types of products as well as pill AgeiShield (12). form/powder supplements and ergogenic aids. Chemist stores sell a range of dietary, especially vitamin and mineral, supplements.

Major carbohydrate-electrolyte drinks sold in supermarkets include Gatorade™, Powerade™, and Staminade™. Lucozade Energy™ (rather than electrolyte) is sold in Australian supermarkets. The liquid meal Sustagen Sport™ is also readily found in supermarkets and chemists. Supermarkets also sell a Customs regulations range of liquid meals in tetra packs (e.g. Up and Australia has strict customs regulations, especially Go™) and cereal/nut bars. Specialised sport regarding fresh food products (13). No fresh meats, stores/cycling/supplement shops also sell a wide fruit, plants or dairy food can be brought in to range of brands e.g. Science in Sport (SIS)™, Australia. Regarding supplements, it would be Endura™, Powerbar™, Gu™ and BSc™. Sports easier to purchase these in Australia, especially if foods in Australia are regulated by Food Standards travelling with a team. Due to its geographical Australia and New Zealand (8). It is wise to check isolation, Australia does not have many of the same recent availability of your preferred brand before diseases and pests that harm flora and fauna in travelling as the smaller Australian market has a other countries. Visitors need to declare food more limited range of popular sports brands. products or dispose of these in the bins provided prior to entering immigration. Heavy penalties and Pill form supplements (e.g. vitamins and minerals) fines are imposed for non-compliance. A supporting and ergogenic aids (e.g. caffeine pills such as No- medical letter should be brought to justify the use of DoZ™) are regulated by the Therapeutic Goods prescription medicines.

References (1) www.alcohol.gov.au (2) www.foodstandards.gov.au/industry/safetystandards/documents/Guide%20321%20FoodSafetyPrograms-WEB.pdf (3) www.opc.org.au/downloads/policy-briefs/menu-kj-labelling-in-chain-food-outlets-in-australia.pdf (4) www.foodstandards.gov.au/industry/labelling/pages/default.aspx (5) www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/foodallergies/pages/allergen-labelling.aspx (6) www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/labelling/Pages/Labelling-of-food-additives.aspx (7) www.healthstarrating.gov.au/internet/healthstarrating/publishing.nsf/content/home (8) www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/nutrition/sportfood/Pages/default.aspx (9) www.tga.gov.au/community-qa/food-and-medicine-regulation (10) www.informed-sport.com/news/australian-supplements-survey-highlights-need-testing (11) www.informed-sport.com/certified-product-brands (12) www.aegisshield.com/ (13) www.abf.gov.au/entering-and-leaving-australia/can-you-bring-it-in EATING INTERNATIONALLY: AUSTRALIA

Iconic Australian Recipe – Lamingtons

Ingredients Cake: - 125g butter, softened - 1 cup caster (superfine) - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract - 3 eggs - 1 3/4 cups self-raising flour, sifted - 1/2 cup milk - 2 cups desiccated (dried shaved) coconut Icing: - 3 1/2 cups icing sugar mixture - 1/4 cup cocoa powder - 1 tablespoon butter, softened - 1/2 cup boiling water

Method Step 1: Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 3cm-deep, 20cm x 30cm (base) pan. Line with baking paper, leaving a 2cm overhang on all sides. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition (mixture may curdle).

Step 2: Sift half the flour over butter mixture. Stir to combine. Add half the milk. Stir to combine. Repeat with remaining flour and milk. Spoon into prepared pan. Smooth top. Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Stand in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to cool.

Step 3 (make icing): Sift icing sugar and cocoa into a bowl. Add butter and boiling water. Stir until smooth.

Step 4: Cut cake into 15 pieces. Place coconut in a dish. Using a fork, dip 1 piece of cake in icing. Shake off excess. Toss in coconut. Place on a wire rack over a baking tray. Repeat with remaining cake, icing and coconut. Stand for 2 hours or until set.

Serve with tea or coffee.