New commercial food factory unveiled

A new food and beverage manufacturing facility has been unveiled within the Food Innovation Precinct of WA for businesses to develop and produce products on a commercial scale.

The $12.2 million Sustainable Innovative Food Technologies Centre (SIFT) within the innovation precinct located at the Peel Business Park was officially opened today.

Opening the centre was Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis, Future Food System Cooperative Research Centre chair Fiona Simpson and Murdoch University deputy vice-chancellor research and innovation Peter Eastwood.

The manufacturing centre has the latest in food and beverage manufacturing equipment, poised for companies to scale production at a subsidised rate, according to the state government.   

It will be operated by Future Food Systems Co-operative Research Centre and Murdoch University.

It's designed for businesses to test, develop, and produce new and improved value-added food products on a commercial scale to determine market demand and source buyers before investing in their own large-scale production and equipment, according to the state government. 

"Some iconic food brands have come out of Australia, and the new Sustainable, Innovative Food Technologies Centre offers WA's food and beverage industry an incredible opportunity to develop the next big thing,” Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis said in a statement last week.

"The SIFT Centre will help remove some financial risk for small business owners, allowing them to test and refine products at a commercial scale, without having to invest in their own equipment.

"The SIFT Centre is projected to grow the state's local value-added industry, create more than 150 direct jobs, and inject around $100 million into the economy.”

Regional Development Minister Don Punch said more than a third of WA’s 1,500 food and beverage businesses were based in the regions.

He said providing access to new manufacturing technology would achieve direct benefits for the regional economics, alongside creating more job opportunities.

Murdoch vice-chancellor Andrew Deeks said the SIFT centre was the latest addition to a best-in-class food manufacturing ecosystem in WA.

“It provides, at a commercial scale, a pathway to grow and value-add our food businesses to make new products,” he said.

“This is important because real market potential and subsequent success can only truly be measured by placing products into the market and having customers buy them, repeatedly.

“The facility provides an opportunity for small to medium sized enterprises to scale batch test new food products for local markets and for export.

“Such products are being developed and tested in the Murdoch Research and Development Centre managed by the University’s Food Futures Institute.”