4306.0 - Apparent Consumption of Foodstuffs, Australia, 1997-98 and 1998-99  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 25/10/2000  Ceased
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MEDIA RELEASE

October 25, 2000
Embargoed: 11:30 AM (AEST)
147/2000

Aussies turn to wine, fruit and veg

Les Patterson, eat your heart out! Aussies are increasingly turning away from beer and meat pies, preferring shrimps on the barbie, fresh fruit and wine.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reveals in the latest consumption figures released today that Australians are also consuming less beef, mutton and sugar and beginning to show a preference for seafood and vegetables.

Australians decreased their meat intake with apparent per capita consumption of meat and meat products down 2.3 per cent to 71.6 kg in 1998-99, and down 10.3 per cent since 1988-89, when consumption was 79.8 kg. Major contributors to the decrease were beef and veal, down 4.5 per cent to 36.4 kg and mutton down 21 per cent to 4.5 kg per person.

Going against the downward trend in the consumption of beef, veal and mutton was an increase in consumption of seafood, which saw per capita consumption increase from 8.3 kg to 10.9 kg, a 31.3 per cent increase in the 10 years from 1988-89 to 1998-99.

During the period 1997-98 and 1998-99, fruit and fruit products (including fruit juices), consumption increased by 8.3 per cent from 124.7 kg per capita to 135.0 kg. In the same period, imports for oranges and other citrus fruit rose by more than 62 per cent.

Consumption of vegetables has shown a steady 9.4 per cent increase over the last decade. Per capita consumption of tomatoes showed a significant increase from 20.9 kg in 1997-98 to 24.9 kg in 1998-99, a rise of 19 per cent. The category of other vegetables showed an increase in per capita consumption in 1998-99 of 4.6 per cent to 25.1 kg per capita.

Australians drank 24.7 litres of low alcohol beer per capita in 1998-99, a slight decline of 0.4 per cent on the previous year. Consumption of full strength beer declined by 1.7 per cent to 68.5 litres per capita. Overall, total beer consumption showed a decline for the second successive year with a fall of 1.4 per cent to 93.2 litres per person, whereas wine consumption grew by 3.4 per cent in 1997-98 and 1.0 per cent in 1998-99 to 19.8 litres per capita.

Total cane sugar consumption, including sugar in manufactured foods, fell 10.5 per cent from 42 kg per person in 1997-98 to 37.6 kg. However soft drinks continued to gain popularity, remaining the most popular drink, increasing 3.7 per cent to 113.0 litres per person in 1998-99. The apparent consumption of tea and coffee also rose, with tea at 0.9 kg per person and coffee at 2.4 kg.

Details are found in Apparent Consumption of Foodstuffs - Australia (cat. no. 4306.0) available from ABS bookshops. The summary of the publication may be found on this site. If you wish to purchase a copy of this publication, contact the ABS Bookshop in your capital city.