Aussie macadamias: from seed to snack

Supply chains around the world have been disrupted by the pandemic. When it comes to food, trust in the source, food safety and stable supply is growing in importance for consumers and manufacturers. Consumers are increasingly demanding to know the story behind the products they are buying and expect transparency from food producers and manufacturers.

Research released by industry body the Australian Macadamia Society has revealed that 82% of consumers say origin is important to them when purchasing macadamia nuts. The survey found 90% of Australian consumers and more than 50% of consumers surveyed across Asia and the US ranked Australia as one of their most appealing origins of macadamias.

Australia has exported around 70% of its macadamia crop for the last five years, with this figure climbing as high as 75% in 2020, despite the disruptions of the pandemic.

The Australian Macadamia Society said Australian kernel sales continue to improve in key markets, and this is testament to the high-quality standing of Australian macadamias and the strong commercial relationships forged.

Below, the industry shares the journey of a macadamia nut from its on-farm origins on the Australian east coast to becoming the primary ingredient in Nutworks’ branded macadamia snack, chocolate and confectionery retail products.

From seed

Australia is the original home of macadamias, which originated in the ancient rainforests on the east coast more than 60 million years ago. The industry remains centred here, where the rich volcanic soils and sub-tropical climate form the ideal environment for macadamias to flourish.

Australian Macadamias Market Development Manager Jacqui Price said the industry is thriving and macadamias are now Australia’s fourth-largest horticultural export.

“The last few years in particular has seen an influx of new growers,” Price said. “It’s injected a youthful energy and an unprecedented appetite for innovation into our industry, with newer growers eager to adopt the latest on-farm technology and promote biodiversity in their orchards.”

The industry body said the industry attracts around $5 million investment in research and development every year.

“Adoption of new technology and continual improvement of best-practice orchard management is paving the way for further growth to ensure Australia’s macadamia industry remains at the forefront of world production and continues to supply premium product to innovation-focused customers in the global FMCG space,” Price said.

To processor

The strength of Australia’s macadamia processors lies at the heart of the industry. Located within major growing regions along the east coast, the freshly harvested nuts don’t have far to travel to complete their transformation from nut-in-shell to cracked and bulk-packed kernel, ready for dispatch to the supply chain.

The industry body said Australia pioneered the macadamia processing industry and was the first macadamia producer to implement rigorous quality standards and testing protocols. With safety, freshness and transparency as the cornerstones of their operations, all Australian processors have stringent quality management systems in place and meet high accreditation standards.

Jacqui Price believes this is what underpins the relationships Australian processors have with commercial partners around the world.

“Our processors have robust and long-standing customer relationships built on quality, impeccable food safety standards and great customer service,” she said.

“Their commitment to outstanding quality is verified every year by the Australian Government’s National Residue Survey (NRS).”

The NRS tests Australian fresh produce for a range of chemical residues and environmental contaminants. The macadamia industry has participated in the survey since it began in the mid-1990s, achieving 100% compliance every year.

“23 consecutive years of perfect scores really highlights the impeccable standards of our growers and processors, and macadamias are actually the only Australian fresh product to have achieved this record.”

Price said the industry’s processing sector is also committed to offering a variety of product formats to help manufacturers innovate with macadamias across a host of categories and applications.

“In addition to whole kernel, which suits snacks and chocolate confectionery products, our processors supply a range of other ingredient styles, from halves right down to very small chips, making it commercially viable to include macadamias in everything from ice cream and bakery items to toppings and cereals.”

To snack

Once processed, manufacturers including Queensland-based Nutworks use the premium quality, Australian-grown macadamia kernel to produce an array of retail products.

“We use premium Australian macadamia kernel from Queensland and the NSW Northern Rivers to make our extensive range of chocolate, confectionery and roasted snack retail products,” said Nutworks CEO Kylie Watson.

“We see ourselves as pioneers in crafted nut innovation and continually evolve our range with new flavour pairings. Australian macadamias are the creamiest of macadamias. They are incredibly versatile and are well matched to both sweet and savoury flavour profiles.”

Nutworks products are distributed in retail outlets, supermarkets, duty free stores and online in more than 10 countries, and Watson said her team feels immense pride in knowing they are working with a native Australian nut.

“Australian origin is seen as green and safe,” she said. “I believe brand Australia is increasingly important not only to Australian consumers but those in other markets too. Australian origin allows consumers to feel confident about food safety and quality.”

The Australian Macadamia Society said the industry is ideally placed to continue to supply the world’s leading brands, manufacturers and consumers with exceptional macadamias long into the future.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/sommai