1980s

Restaurants
People started to eat out more at restaurants in the 1980s. French, Italian and Mediterranean cuisine was popular. 'Nouvelle cuisine' was served at many restaurants (smaller servings artistically arranged on large plates) and many dishes had foreign names. Interest in the foods of Asia was growing as the numbers of Asian migrants increased, and as more people took holidays in Asia.

Changing Tastes
Cooking shows on television featured dishes from a variety of cultures and dishes for special diets (such as vegetarian diets). At the start of the decade Australians were the biggest meat and sugar eaters in the world but trends were changing as part of a growing awareness of health issues. The consumption of wholemeal foods and white meats was increasing. Roast dinners and red meat consumption were on the decline by the end of the 1980s. Bread was no longer the main staple food; pasta and rice were widely eaten. Fast foods and snack foods were well established by the 1980s and on the increase. In this decade Australians spent about 20% of their income on food.

Not So Formal
House design had changed over the decades to reflect changing lifestyles. At the start of the century, the kitchen, dining room and living room were separate. By the 1980s in many homes the kitchen was only separated from the dining/family room by a benchtop or breakfast bar as mealtimes were becoming much less formal.

Microwave Ovens
Microwave ovens, first used in caf?s and milk bars, quickly became established in the home, allowing people to defrost, cook or reheat food in a fraction of the time previously needed. Electric food processors and blenders also became popular. They too helped to cut down food preparation time.

In 1985 COLES SUPERMARKETS and MYER merge.
Front-end scanners are available in many supermarkets by the mid-1980s.

Kraft News

By the end of the 1980s Kraft is the second largest food company in the world.

Canned Meals
In the 1980s, Kraft launched new additions to the canned meats/meals range: Beef Steak and Mushroom, Irish Stew and Vegetables and Sausage.

Changing Tastes
Ever since the early days of Fred Walker, Kraft has been innovative. In the 1980s, aware of changing trends, the Company launches Fetta cheese, Satay sauces as well as olives.

The Low Fat Alternative
In response to the growing demand for healthier options Kraft launched a number of 'low fat' options in the late 1980s - Light French Dressing, Light Thousand Island Dressing, Cholesterol Free Mayonnaise, Coon Light - and also No Added Salt Mayonnaise. It was one of the first companies in Australia to offer low fat options.

The Customer Is Always Right
In 1988, as part of a customer advisory service, Kraft set up a 008 toll free number for customers. The number is printed on the labels of all Kraft products.

Other Products Of The 1980s
In 1981 Philadelphia Spreadable was launched.
In 1985, as a tribute to one of the founders on the Company, Fred Walker Cheese was launched.
In 1987 Coon Mild Cheese, Shredded Coon Cheese and Continental Selection were launched.

How well do you know your Australian history? Population 14.7 million by 1980
1980	The first Australian IVF baby is born.
1981	Three Australian sites are granted World Heritage Site status by UNESCO: Kakadu National Park, Willandra Lakes and the Great Barrier Reef.
1982	Prof. G Clarke of the University of Melbourne develops the world's first bionic ear.
1982	Environmentalists successfully prevent the flooding of Lake Pedder in Tasmania for the Gordon River hydroelectric project.
1983	Australia II wins the America's Cup yacht race held by America since the first race.
1984	'Advance Australia Fair' becomes the official national anthem of Australia.
1984	Bob Hawke becomes Prime Minister.
1985	Unleaded petrol becomes available in Australia.
1985	The first episode of the series Neighbours is broadcast.
1985	The first Aboriginal bishop, Canon Arthur Malcolm, is ordained. Women are allowed to become deacons of the Anglican Church for the first time.
1987	EFTPOS (electronic funds transfer at point of sale) allows shoppers to buy items without cash.
1988	The world's first cordless kettle is manufactured by Australian firm KAMBROOK.
1988	White Australians celebrate 200 years of settlement; Aboriginal Australians hold a day of mourning.
Around the world in the 1980s
1980	The Solidarity union is launched in Poland.
1980	The World Health Organization declares that smallpox has been eradicated.
1982	Argentinian troops invade the Falklands Islands, a British dependency in the South Atlantic and Britain goes to war. Argentina later surrenders.
1984	A leak from a chemical factory in Bhopal, India kills at least 2,000 people.
1984	Indian prime minister Indira Ghandi is assassinated by one of her Sikh bodyguards.
1985	Ethiopia is in the grip of famine. Bob Geldof organises Live Aid concerts to raise money.
1985	Mikhail Gorbachev becomes the new Soviet leader.
1986	An explosion at a nuclear power plant in Chernobyl contaminates a wide area and renews concerns about nuclear power.
1986	Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos is overthrown by Corazon Aquino.
1988	Benazir Bhutto, returns to Pakistan from exile and leads her father's Pakistan People's Party to victory.
1988	The Iran-Iraq war comes to an end.
1989	With floods of people from East Germany reaching the West through Hungary, the East German government pulls down the wall that divided Germany since 1961.
1989	Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu is deposed.
1989	Hundreds of people are killed in China when the government cracks down on pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square in Beijing.