Health and nutrition
We believe we can build stronger communities when we work together to make a positive difference and support each other in times of need. A community that is better together is one where we protect our most vulnerable and prioritise the health and wellbeing of our customers.
We want to provide all Australians with great tasting Coles Own Brand products that deliver healthier choices for our customers and meet their dietary needs.
We have a Coles Nutrition, Health and Lifestyle Charter that outlines our nutrition commitment to wellbeing:
- We support the Australian Dietary Guidelines and promote the benefits of well-balanced healthy eating plans. We support the Australian Government Guide to Healthy Eating.
- We do not recommend a specific diet or eating plan for general population nutrition needs. We have a No Dietary fads position. We respect the right of individuals to make informed personal health and lifestyle choices.
- We will promote the benefits of physical activity as an essential part of a healthy lifestyle.
- We help our customers identify healthy food choices using in-store, online and on-pack initiatives to understand and interpret nutrition information. Coles is aligned to the Federal Government Health Star Rating front of pack labelling system for eligible products.
- Coles Own Brand Nutrition policies ensure that all nutrition initiatives are scientifically substantiated, responsible and relevant to consumers, in formulating our products and communicating nutrition information.
- We strive to continuously enhance the nutritional value of our Coles Own Brand foods by:
- reducing energy, sodium / salt, saturated fat, and sugar levels; and
- increasing dietary fibre, wholegrains, fruit and vegetable, and protein without compromising safety, quality, value and taste.
- We will offer responsible recipe, serving, and portion size suggestions to help customers meet nutrient needs including total energy intake.
We have developed a range of policies that cover salt, sugar and saturated fat reduction, the use of artificial colours and flavours, and nutrition and health labelling for our Coles Own Brand products.
Through product reviews and reformulations, nutritional value is being improved while maintaining great quality, value and taste.
We work with food industry bodies and public health groups to address key public health challenges including through our participation in the federal government’s Healthy Food Partnership.
Coles also supports the Health Star Rating, a Federal Government front-of-pack labelling program aimed at assisting customers to make healthier choices when buying packaged foods.
Promoting healthy lifestyles and communities
Many of our community partnerships reflect our purpose to sustainably help all Australians lead healthier, happier lives.
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Coles continued its role as the Official Supermarket of the AFL and AFLW in FY23, investing in both women’s and men’s football from grassroots local footy to the elite professional game, with a shared focus on healthy lifestyles.
In addition to the partnership with the AFL, Coles also continued its support of AFL Women's club Essendon to provide opportunities for talented female footballers from the Tiwi Islands. Opportunities include fully immersive experiences in Melbourne with the club as well as nutrition education provided by Coles. As part of our AFL partnership Coles Healthy Kicks continues to evolve and grow.
The Coles Healthy Kicks program motivates children aged between six and 12 years to become more physically active, eat nutritious food and develop a healthy mind and body while having fun with others. This year we commenced Coles Healthy Kicks Camps and introduced Coles Healthy Kicks curriculum directly into 3,000 schools. In FY23, more than 16,000 children across Australia participated in a Healthy Kicks program.
Product safety and quality
We are committed to providing customers with safe, high-quality Coles Own Brand products. We support this through rigorous supplier requirements, our auditing and inspection program across the supply chain, in-store standards, and compliance with recall and withdrawal requirements.
Coles Own Brand refers to the portfolio of brands owned by Coles. It includes grocery, fresh and non-food products that are sold in Coles supermarkets under Coles Brands (e.g. Coles Finest, Coles Nature’s Kitchen) and Exclusive Own Brands (e.g. KOi, Daley St).
All Coles Own Brand suppliers use a web-based product and supplier database, Fusion, which enables product traceability and strict adherence to quality compliance standards such as declarable allergens, certifications and nutritional information.
Coles' Food Manufacturing Supplier Requirements (CFMSR) cover product safety and quality, packaging and all claims, such as those related to animal welfare, sustainable palm oil and responsibly sourced seafood. They are based on world's best practice and go beyond Australian regulatory standards.
All factories supplying Coles Own Brand products are regularly audited to confirm compliance to product safety and quality standards.
Partnering with the community
Coles is proud of our over 108-year contribution to Australia and is committed to serving the communities in which it operates.
Coles’ contribution to the community goes beyond being one of Australia’s largest employers. The business provides significant financial assistance and in-kind donations to national, state and local community partners.
In FY23, Coles contributed $40.7 million1 in community support to promote health outcomes and build resilience in our communities.
Additionally, we contributed $133 million in food donations – the equivalent of 40.1 million meals to Australians in need.
Coles' national community partners are include food rescue organisation SecondBite and children's cancer charity Redkite. In addition to these national partnerships, Coles also supports a range of state and local initiatives which help reduce disadvantage, drive improved health outcomes, reduce environmental impacts, assist the food and grocery sector and contribute to schools and community groups.
To help young people live healthy, active lives, Coles supermarkets also partners with Little Athletics Australia to provide support and resources to more than 500 athletics centres across Australia.
More information on our community partners, including information on applying for support, can be found
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1 Includes Coles’ direct contribution of cash, time and management costs as well as fundraising from customers, suppliers and team members (leverage). In-kind donations valued at $133m is not included in this number. Coles’ community support is verified by the Business for Societal Impact (B4SI) framework.
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Food rescue organisation SecondBite collects unsold, edible food directly from our supermarkets or organises for local charities and not-for-profits to collect on its behalf. In addition to collecting and redistributing food from our supermarkets, SecondBite collects food from our fresh and chilled distribution centres. The food we provide to SecondBite is distributed to more than 1,100 community partners that are helping Australians in need.
Coles and SecondBite have been working together since 2011 in the fight against hunger and food waste. Since the partnership began, Coles has provided SecondBite with the equivalent of more than 200 million meals.
Our partnership with SecondBite goes beyond donating food from Coles’ Supermarkets and distribution centres. We connect SecondBite to key suppliers who are also seeking to reduce food waste and support vulnerable people in their community.
Coles Supermarkets and liquor stores also provide fundraising opportunities via our customers through annual Winter and Christmas appeals and other promotional programs throughout the year. Across all fundraising activities, Coles raised and donated more than $7.1 million for SecondBite in FY23.
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Coles has been in partnership with Redkite since 2013, raising more than $50 million to date. Our partnership has enabled Redkite to provide counselling services, financial assistance, information resources and education support to children with cancer and their families.
Funds raised by Coles over the past nine years have also enabled Redkite to provide 336 Dare to Dream Scholarships of up to $5,000 to support young Australians affected by cancer to achieve their goals
and ambitions.
In FY23, the total amount raised for Redkite by Coles, our team members and customers was $3.8 million. Of this, Coles contributed more than $1.6 million through the donation of five cents from the sale of every loaf of specially marked Coles Brand bread sold at Coles Supermarkets and Coles Express.
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Coles has a long history of supporting local communities by raising and donating funds for disaster relief, as well as essential supplies to support emergency services and vulnerable communities.
In recent times, Coles and our customers have supported communities across Australia affected by bushfires, cyclones and floods.
In November 2022, when devastating floods hit towns in New South Wales and Victoria, our local stores donated essential products including cereal, water, milk, packaged items and pet food to flood-affected residents.
Coles Online delivered more than 7,500 essential groceries and sanitary products to the evacuation centre at Forbes High School, and provided hampers to residents of the flood-hit town of Eugowra, in New South Wales.
In Victoria, we donated 44 pallets of essential groceries, nappies and cleaning products to the local Emergency Relief Centre in Shepparton, and five pallets were delivered to the Njernda Aboriginal Corporation in Echuca for Indigenous residents. Coles also worked with charity Housing Justice to provide care packs to residents forced to relocate from Rochester.
Funds donated by our customers and Coles helped the Red Cross to support volunteers and staff to assist with evacuations, relief centres and cash assistance. In addition, monies raised will enable longer term recovery work in flood-affected communities.
Responsible service
Our vision to be the most trusted retailer in Australia carries specific responsibilities when operating our liquor stores in the community. We are committed to the safety and wellbeing of our team and our customers and aim to always promote the responsible sale and consumption of alcohol and tobacco. More information on responsible service can be found in the
Coles Sustainability ReportSustainability Report, file size 7.1MB, Opens in new windowOpens in new window.