Fresh Food Industry

The challenges

Driven by increasing consumer concerns about health and wellbeing, Australia’s fresh food market is growing. In 2016 alone, total volumes rose 2%, contributing to a 31% jump in exports. Australia is a net exporter of fresh produce, and as well as growing exports, the sector also saw a significant increase in trade surplus.

Escalating red meat prices and consumers’ simultaneous concerns about the impact of livestock farming on greenhouse gases are seeing more Australians adopt “flexitarian” diets, such as “meat-free Monday”, where they eat more plant protein and less meat but without converting to vegetarianism.

However, the challenges for fresh produce remain:

• Weather: drought, flooding and extreme temperatures affect crop yield and quality
• Long production cycles: depending upon the crop this can means years without returns (such as nuts)
• Cap-ex: lagging capital re-investment reduces returns over time
• Competition: for land use from housing and mining
• Imports: that are cheaper on the retail shelf because they’re subsided

What’s at foodpro to help your business?

Convenience is integral to the success of the fresh produce market. This is true for snacks (such as pre-cut individual portions of fruit and vegetables, or including plastic cutlery in the pack), and for fresh produce pre-prepared for home cooking (such as packs ready for consumers to make soup and stir fries, or bags of pre-washed salad items, which may include dressing sachets).

Consumers value convenience and health, so presenting consumers with fresh produce in convenient packaging that increases their ease of buying and preparing fresh food, will help grow your business. On top of that, Australia’s strict food safety and hygiene standards ensure our produce is highly sought after in overseas markets as well as domestically.

At foodpro, packers and processors of fresh produce will see a host of equipment to help with this fast-growing sector, including:

• Washing and sorting machinery
• Packing and packaging machinery
• Coding and labelling solutions
• Inspection and detection systems, including checkweighers

See here for a full list of exhibitors.

Expert Advice For You

foodpro will also host a series of free education sessions on several contemporary industry issues, including traceability, best practices and sustainability, including case studies and demonstrations. View the full timetable.

Because traceability and transparency in the supply chain are vital for fresh produce, processors can also visit foodpro’s Supply Chain Integrity Seminars exploring the future of food manufacturing, what’s next in retail supply chain technology, future personalised nutrition, the sustainable value chain of the future and more..

To keep your fresh produce business competitive and “in the green”, visit foodpro for the latest technologies, solutions and information.