In March and April of 2014 the University of Tasmania, as part of the Healthy Food Access Tasmania project, conducted a price and availability survey for healthy food across Tasmania.
The Healthy Food Access Basket (HFAB) survey collected data on 44 foods which are consistent with the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE).
The AGHE was developed by the Commonwealth Department of Health and provides recommendations for how Australians should eat for good health across the lifespan. The HFAB has been used widely in Australia as a measure of the cost of eating well.
Data was collected in 142 of Tasmania’s 353 stores where fresh food is available. The results show that the cost of healthy foods vary across store types and the varying impost on the household budget depends on household type.