Innovating a foodie future Push for world-class facility in region

‘‘ THE ONLY BRICK WALL WE’RE SEEING IS THE ABILITY FOR THE IDEA TO BE SCALED UP INTO COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS

FOOD Leaders Australia will develop a business case for a world-class food innovation facility in Toowoomba that could transform the region’s food production industry.

The idea is to replicate the $30 million New Zealand Food Innovation Network’s Foodbowl facility on the outskirts of Auckland, a 70 per cent government-funded centre which helps businesses commercialise products for the mass market.

The Foodbowl is part of the national network of science and technology resources created in 2011 to support the growth of New Zealand’s food and beverage businesses, and provides both facilities and expertise to develop products.

Among its global successes are the ready-to-eat Plate Me product range, fish oil capsule brand Comvita, and coconut yoghurt brand CocoWow.

FLA general manager Bruce McConnel and Access NZ delegates toured the facility yesterday, and said he would start building a business case for a similar facility in the region.

“The innovation that they do there is world leading and the number one brick wall our producers are hitting is scale of commercialisation,” he said.

The NZ Food Innovation Network technology guarantees every product developed is clean of diseases and safe for its intended shelf life, removing the risk to producers, developers and customers.

It also removes risks of operators damaging New Zealand’s clean and quality product reputation. Using the facilities removes product development overheads.

It’s that end-to-end benefit which Mr McConnel said would benefit the region in the development of new products and markets, and Toowoomba was well connected to ensure greater market access.

“With the air, road and rail infrastructure that is coming in, diversity and scale of raw ingredients that are readily available within three hours of the Toowoomba airport, and the global connectivity that is now there, it makes it an absolutely logical place to have that.”

It was the second tour of the day after an exclusive look inside T&G’s covered cropping operation in Auckland’s industrialised south.

T&G, New Zealand’s largest tomato grower, produces 20,000 tonnes of the fruit each year, all grown in 28 sustainable glass grow houses.

Mr McConnel said the yield of each one hectare glass house demonstrated the region’s horticulture future could work alongside Toowoomba’s fastindustrialising western corridor.

FLA’S BRUCE MCCONNEL