Australian plant-based startup, Proform Foods, has launched a $11-million manufacturing facility in northern Sydney.
According to the company, the facility has the capacity to produce 5000 tonnes of plant-based meat every year. The manufacturing process uses 70-per-cent Australian ingredients and aims to reach 100 per cent in the future to support the local industry.
Located at Mount Kuring-Gai, the 1600sqm Proform Foods facility was opened by the Federal Minister for Industry, Science and Innovation Karen Andrews, and Federal Member for Berowra Julian Leeser.
“This is a great example of value-adding to our proud agriculture industry,” said Andrews. “Alongside our meat producers, we can capitalise on Australia’s reputation for producing safe, premium, high-quality food.”
The launch comes at a time when the global plant-based food market is worth US$4.3 billion and the Australian market is projected to reach US$3 billion by 2030.
In 2006, Proform Foods invested $2.3 million in partnership with the CSIRO as its research provider. Since then,the business founders have poured an additional $8 million in R&D and $11 million to facilitate the building of the specialised manufacturing facility.
“We’re focused on the commercial supply,” said Matt Dunn, CEO of Proform Foods. “We’re looking for innovative partners in that space and co-branding opportunities as well.”
“We’re really keen just to get our brand out there and get it in the market proper but we were also looking to go down the food service avenue in a big way.”
Proform Foods was founded in 2008 by Vogel Cereals founder Stephen Dunn. The brand is currently producing 28 different plant-based products under the Meet brand.
Additional reporting by Ruth Hogan.
