Bundaberg food company to create new high quality products

Bundaberg food company Austchilli has been awarded $250,000 from the State Government’s Business and Industry Transformation Incentives (BITI) scheme to help create and sell a new range of high quality pre-packaged food products overseas.

Regional Development and Industry Minister Desley Boyle announced the funding today.

“The BITI scheme encourages regional growth and also fits with the Premier’s new blueprint for growing a strong and smart economy – Towards Q2 Tomorrow’s Queensland,” Ms Boyle said.

Austchilli General Manager Ian Gaffel said the company had installed High Pressure Processing technology to create fresh tasting nutritional products with a longer shelf life.

“This technology was developed in Japan in the 1970s and involves food being subjected to elevated pressures which improves its shelf life and maintains its original taste and texture,” he said.

Mr Gaffel said Austchilli would develop new products with fruits, juice, herbs and meats.

“Products like fresh avocado puree, fresh herbs and pomegranate juice,” he said.

“We currently export more than 45 food ingredients including pureed chilli and pumpkins to 13 countries.

“The new High Pressure Processing Technology will enable us to compete more successfully in high value export markets like China, Japan, New Zealand and Malaysia.

“This will also have a positive flow-on effect to our supply chain throughout Australia and support farming families.”

Ms Boyle said the State Government was very pleased to support an innovative company like Austchilli.

“The company will use the funding to employ professional technical and marketing specialists to develop and market the range of new products,” she said.

“The BITI scheme supports projects that promote the transformation of priority industries and drive Queensland towards an internationally competitive, sustainable and knowledge-intensive future.

“It focuses on the big picture and the impact of a project on an industry and region as a whole.

“Small to medium enterprises operating in Queensland’s priority sectors can apply for between $30,000 and $250,000 for projects that have the potential to significantly expand their business, their industry and their region.”

The next round of BITI closes on 13 March 2009. For more information on BITI, visit www.industry.qld.gov.au/incentives

6 November 2008

Media contact: 3224 2007 or 3225 1005
Company contact: Ian Gaffel, tel: 4150 3300, ian@austchilli.com.au