Citrus industry health and nutrition education program (CT21006)

Completed project

Publication date: November 28, 2024

Delivery Partner: Nutrition Research Australia

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Ongoing project

Australian Citrus Congress (CT23007)

The Australian Citrus Congress serves as a platform to showcase cutting-edge domestic and international research, development, extension, and marketing (RDE&M) investments, all designed to enhance the future of the citrus industry.

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What was it all about?

This investment educated Australian health professionals (HPs) on the comprehensive nutritional benefits of citrus, empowering them to make informed recommendations to their clients and subsequently increase consumer demand for citrus.

Challenge

Healthcare professionals are highly trusted sources of dietary and wellness advice, making their endorsement crucial in shaping consumer understanding and choices. However, there is a gap in how citrus fruits and juices are perceived in health discussions.

Traditionally, citrus has been celebrated by HPs for its vitamin C content, which has inadvertently minimised recognition of other significant nutrients and bioactives beneficial for immune, cardiovascular, and brain health. Similarly, 100 per cent citrus juice has been misunderstood as a high-sugar product, despite evidence showing it can be part of a healthy diet with mostly positive or neutral health impacts – as demonstrated in past project Scientific review for classification of unsweetened citrus juice in the Australian Dietary Guidelines (CT21004).

The program bridged this knowledge gap by equipping HPs with a greater understanding of the nutritional benefits of citrus.

Response

The project was structured into three core pillars; strategic planning and evaluation, resource development, and communication and education.

Strategic planning and evaluation

Developed an audience sentiment survey to assess HP attitudes, knowledge, and willingness to promote Australian citrus and 100 per cent citrus juice. The survey’s baseline provided valuable insights into current HP perceptions, identifying both facilitators and barriers.

Leveraged insights from FOODiQ to refine target audiences, messaging, and deliverables, shaping outputs like resource materials, educational events, and targeted communication.

Resource development

Produced engaging, informative resources to educate HPs on the nutritional, health, and culinary properties of citrus fruits and 100 per cent citrus juice. These materials, including a recipe booklet, four fact sheets, two infographics, linked social media tiles, and three animations, were designed to engage and inform HPs and, in turn, their clients.

Communication and education

Established an engaged HP database, designed an ongoing education plan, and launched a two-year communications strategy. This included regular e-newsletters, targeted digital campaigns, social media outreach, and partnerships with influencers and key opinion leaders.
Created an online resource hub to host educational materials for easy access by HPs.
Delivered educational events (e.g., webinars, conference presentations) to broaden the reach and deepen engagement with HPs and growers. Grower-specific communications were provided through Citrus Australia channels, podcasts, and presentations at the annual Citrus Conference.

Benefit

Aligned with the Citrus 2022-2026 Strategic Investment Plan’s goal to ‘increase domestic consumer demand [...] through improving knowledge, attitudes and purchase intent’, this project successfully raised HP awareness and knowledge about the benefits of citrus and its juices.

HPs who engaged with the program were 1.2 times more likely to recommend citrus fruit and twice as likely to endorse citrus juice, compared to those not involved.
Positive perceptions of citrus juice increased markedly, from predominantly negative or neutral to overwhelmingly positive, with 70 per cent displaying positive attitudes at project end.
The project increased HPs confidence in discussing the nutritional benefits of citrus and correcting misinformation, with an 18-52 percentage point increase in the number of respondents identifying key nutritional and health benefits compared to baseline.

These outcomes demonstrate that top-of-mind awareness and knowledge of the nutrition and health benefits of citrus are important drivers of recommendation, hence validating efforts to invest in education of HPs, as a valuable strategy to drive consumer demand and foster industry growth.