Innovative Frozen Fruit Range Promotes Importance of Sustainability in Australia

Ra Food produces the only Rainforest Alliance-certified frozen fruit for Australia and New Zealand. Based in Kurmond near Sydney, the company offers four frozen products: blueberries, raspberries, mangoes, and mixed berries. Its products launched in 2019 and are available to independent retailers nationwide. Rainforest Alliance specializes in the sustainability certification of farms, Mr. Bukovinsky said. Ra Food currently sources fruit from Chile, Peru, Eastern Europe, and Mexico.

"Unfortunately, frozen fruit grown in Australia is currently particularly expensive, and we hope that will change in the future," Bukovsky said. "Historically, this has been too expensive for mainstream consumers, and it's actually more expensive than organic. This is mainly due to the decentralized nature of the supply chain. Relatively small farms focus primarily on the fresh market rather than the industrial or frozen market. In addition, automated freezing plants set up in other countries that focus on frozen fruit are more cost-effective, allowing us to sell products at prices close to regular fruit. "

Frozen products are not just sustainable in terms of cultivation, Mr. Bukovinsky said. He said his product packaging is recyclable and reusable. He said: "Our prices are lower than organic frozen fruit, so we are popular with consumers in the retail space. One of our challenges is to make consumers aware of the difference between organically produced and sustainable certified products. ”

Bukovsky said: "For almost two decades, we have been sourcing fruits and vegetables from developing countries around the world. Not only from a supply and price point of view but also from a farm situation, the frozen food variety has developed. We believe this needs to be done in a sustainable manner at all supply levels. Mr. Bukovinsky added that Rå means "raw" in Danish, which he said was appropriate because the fruit used in his products is 100% sustainable.

Innovative Frozen Fruit Range Promotes Importance of Sustainability in Australia PDF