Food manufacturing opportunities for Northern Australia

A research group from Charles Darwin University (CDU) revealed what is needed for Northern Australia to build food manufacturing capabilities during a conference on agricultural development.

Dr Warren Hunt, Northern Australia Food Technology Innovation (NAFTI) project manager, and Roger Standley, University of Tasmania Professor, presented the findings from 15 months of research at the Food Futures Conference, held in Darwin.

Food processing in Northern Australia is currently limited to niche businesses, with most of the country’s food processing located in Southern Australia. The project helped researchers understand Northern Australia’s supply chain and is aimed at regional value-capture of sub-premium or out-of-specification produce, according to Hunt.

“However, there is also a strategic angle, as our food supply chains in the north are 3000 to 4000 km long and highly vulnerable to interruptions. Regional food stabilisation capabilities to support northern population centres must be given more attention by governments as a matter of urgency,” Hunt said.

The project has so far highlighted different types of shelf-stable foods that offer the most potential to be produced in Northern Australia. These include packaged snacks and convenience foods, pet food, ready meals, red meat and seafood products, tropical juice and wet or dry whole fruit or fruit pieces.

“There is also significant potential for NT-processed shelf-stable red meat products such as ready-to-eat meals as well as functional beef ingredients used in numerous grocery products,” Hunt said.

An opportunity to produce buffalo meat in Northern Australia is also a possibility.

“This study is investigating the function that novel shelf-stable food technologies offer; for example, they can deliver food nutritional and sensory outcomes to past processing practices,” he said.

The next stage of the project includes furthering ideas on the development of a small-scale food-grade facility.

The plant would include different processing lines with the ability to manage feedstocks such as red meat, horticulture and seafood products. It would be dedicated to de-risking potential commercial expansion by undertaking market and product testing as well as building a trained workforce in food processing operations.

The Food Futures Conference is a biennial conference organised by the NT Farmers Association, helping to showcase the opportunities of the north, influence policy creation and attract investment to the area.

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