# Australian survey maps food-industry contact with nutrition professionals > Promotional materials, sponsored education and gifts were common among respondents, but the study does not measure their effect on professional advice. URL: https://foodradar.org/australia-nutrition-professionals-industry-contact-survey Language: en Author: FoodRadar Editorial Published: 2026-10-07T11:21:42.823Z Updated: 2026-10-07T11:21:42.823Z Source publication date: 2026-07-09 Category: Industry Türkçe: https://foodradar.org/tr/australia-nutrition-professionals-industry-contact-survey ## An interaction network beyond direct marketing Food, beverage and supplement businesses reach nutrition professionals through more than direct sales approaches. A July Australian study documents contact through professional associations, educational events, promotional materials and gifts. The findings highlight the role of intermediaries and the mixed views professionals hold about the usefulness and visibility of industry involvement. The researchers analysed 118 eligible responses from an anonymous online survey conducted between February and April 2025. Eighty-six respondents were dietitians; the wider group included nutritionists, researchers and other health professionals providing nutrition advice. Some professional categories overlapped because respondents could select more than one role. The survey describes this participating group rather than estimating the prevalence of every interaction across Australia’s entire profession. ## Different percentages used different denominators Among the 118 respondents, 88, or 75%, reported receiving promotional material through associations that promoted food, beverage or supplement products. Eighty-four, or 71%, reported previous direct industry communication, and 51, or 43%, said they had been asked to promote products. These measures capture different kinds of contact and should not be added together as separate populations. Of the 112 respondents who reported participating in regular professional development, 74 had attended an industry-sponsored educational event within the previous ten years. That is the basis of the reported 66% figure. Fifty-six of the full sample reported gifts or invitations in the previous year. Keeping those reference periods and denominators visible matters when comparing the scale of different activities. ## Usefulness and concern coexisted Respondents did not express one uniform position on industry material. Many found at least some information useful, while others preferred stronger separation or raised concerns about independence and reputation. Several distinguished primary producers from food manufacturers or supplement businesses, suggesting that a single broad industry label can conceal materially different relationships. The study also found uncertainty about organisational rules. Among 114 people answering that question, 43 reported policies or guidance, 44 were unsure and 27 said there were none. Some arrangements relied on disclosure, while others restricted particular gifts or sponsorships. Those are reports of respondents’ working environments, not a legal assessment of what each profession or organisation is required to do. ## Visibility is the practical issue for communicators Recruitment used professional networks, associations, social media and direct contact with practitioners. Participation and recollection may therefore influence the results, and the cross-sectional survey cannot show that exposure changed a recommendation or caused a conflict to affect a client. The authors call for further research into the scope and consequences of the relationships they describe. For food businesses and professional bodies, the study makes the communication pathway itself worth examining. An educational resource passed through an association may not make its commercial origin obvious to every recipient. Clear sponsorship and source identification would address that visibility problem, while assessments of accuracy and professional independence remain separate. The survey supplies evidence of contact and differing perceptions, rather than proof that all industry engagement has the same purpose or effect. ## Sources and rights - [Food industry's interactions with nutrition professionals in Australia: a survey.](https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13434609?utm_source=foodradar.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_content=australia-nutrition-professionals-industry-contact-survey-en). Cambridge University Press. Teimouri N, Sievert KE, Hannah A, Cullerton K. Food industry's interactions with nutrition professionals in Australia: a survey. Public health nutrition. 2026. DOI: 10.1017/s1368980026103097. © The Author(s) 2026 [CC-BY-4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/?utm_source=foodradar.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_content=australia-nutrition-professionals-industry-contact-survey-en-license). Adapted by FoodRadar. [Editorial standards](https://foodradar.org/editorial-policy)