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The need for transparency in the food industry is becoming more important as customers are starting to demand to know where their food is grown.
This development in the sector is reflected in the changes major Australian food producers are making, and Aussie favourite Rosella is leading the charge.
Rosella has announced a partnership with Kagome Australia to launch its first line of traceable, wholesale produce.
The new products are made with 100 per cent Australian grown tomatoes, and Rosella says they are responding to the demand from customers for locally grown food.
Since 2010, Kagome Australia has grown non-GMO tomatoes in Echuca and the Murray Valley region in Victoria.
Kagome will supply and manufacture Rosella's new food-service range which includes 1kg+ packs of tomato paste, tomato puree, pizza sauces, tomato sauce, and Napoli sauce.
By branding every Kagome/Rosella product with a 'paddock-to-plate' tag customers will be able to trace every product back to the region it was made by scanning a unique QR code on the packaging.
Chief executive officer of Sabrands, the parent company of Rosella, Anthony Davie, says Rosella is responding directly to what Australian cafes, pubs, restaurants, and their customers want.
"Having provided consumers with quality, locally grown produce for over a century at Rosella it's hugely exciting to now bring that same opportunity to commercial kitchens," says Davie.
"It's good for our farmers and local communities so it's a smart move for restaurants and food brands to use Australian ingredients commercially and ethically. It's what consumers want and expect more of no matter whether they eat at home or in a restaurant."
CEO of Kagome Australia Jason Fritsch says the partnership will empower customers.
"We aim to make sure the food industry and consumers consciously choose to buy and eat at places who support local produce," says Fritsch.
"Kagome and Rosella proudly invest in our people, technology, farming and manufacturing practices to make sure we minimise our waste, support sustainable farming and irrigation practices, and get the foodservice industry and consumers thinking and caring about where their food comes from right down to the farm it's grown in."
The new range will be available to purchase wholesale through foodservice distributors following the new line's launch on March 9.
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Business News Australia
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