AU: New baby food processor will cut food waste

Australia's first high-pressure processed baby food range is about to be launched from a Western Aus…

Australia's first high-pressure processed baby food range is about to be launched from a Western Australian processing facility. It is hoped that the range will tap into the growing market for nutritional food and help with fruit and vegetable wastage.

Fresh Produce Alliance, based in Manjimup, decided to launch its baby food range as a way of utilising fruit and vegetable produce that did not meet fresh market specifications.

Managing director Jenny Franceschi said it was a way of giving farmers the opportunity to sell produce that would otherwise have been wasted or sold for very little.

"We wanted to do something for Australian farmers," she said.

"[I've heard, on average] 30 per cent of products that are grown in Australia don't leave the farm gate.

"That's usually because they're either too big, too small, too much colour, not enough colour or for whatever reason."

One grower who has been supplying produce to the Franceschis during the baby food range's development stage is Manjimup apple grower, Harvey Gibblett.

He said 10-15 per cent of his product was not saleable to the fresh market, and the baby food provided a good opportunity to salvage product for more money than he would have received in the juicing market.

"Currently we produce between about 800 and 1 million kilos of processing fruit out of our crop each year," he said.

"What we are hoping is that Wayne and Jenny's operation will be able to pay a little bit more.

"Even if it's only five or 10 cents, it will be better than what we are getting at the moment [for juicing]."