October 16, 2022

Australia exhibits at SIAL Paris 2022: a unique food offering that helps the planet

The Australian Government is exhibiting at SIAL Paris 2022, representing 23 Australian food and drink suppliers who are offering visitors a taste of some of Australia’s unique products and native flavours

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Jennifer Mackinlay, General Manager for Europe at The Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), discusses her country’s unique food offerings and initiatives. 

Australia is home to an outstanding range of food and drink products, which Austrade is exhibiting at SIAL Paris 2022 through its food and drink suppliers. “We’re very excited to showcase our delicious Australian food and drink at SIAL Paris this year,” said Ms. Mackinlay. 
“We are bringing some truly unique Australian products and flavours to Europe. Our Patagonian Toothfish, Western Rock Lobster, our range of spirits infused with native Australian botanicals and our famous macadamia nuts are sought after around the world.”
Ms. Mackinlay offers an open invitation to visitors at SIAL Paris 2022. “We welcome you to our Australia Stand at SIAL Paris this week, where we are serving our fresh seafood and sustainably sourced beef on the BBQ,” she said. 
“We’re also hosting tasting sessions of our premium wines, so don’t miss the opportunity to try our fantastic Australian food and drink!”

Australian companies racing to net zero 

Australia recently passed its first climate change legislation in a decade, which looks to cut emissions by 43% by 2030, reaching net zero by 2050.
“Australia’s food and drink industry is leading the way when it comes to using technology to improve sustainability and traceability within the food industry,” says Freddy Dutoit, Austrade’s Senior Business Development Manager in France.
“Australia’s businesses and peak organisations are implementing industry-wide sustainability and emissions reduction strategies. Australia’s wine industry is working towards net zero direct emissions by 2035; Australia’s red meat industry has set a target to be carbon neutral by 2030, and the dairy industry aims to reduce GHG emissions intensity by 30% by 2030,” explains Freddy Dutoit.

The agricultural technology sector in Australia is supporting the government’s goal for net zero, with companies working hard to reduce their carbon footprint.
Specifically, companies such as Austral Fisheries and Wakefield Wines are described by the Australian government as sustainability leaders. The former became one of the first wine producers to be carbon neutral in 2010, while the latter became the world’s first carbon neutral fishery in 2016. 
Another spotlighted company is Clean Seas Sustainable Seafood, who use SensoryFresh technology to freeze its Yellowtail Kingfish. This technology preserves the taste and texture of the product, while allowing the company to use more climate friendly methods of transportation to Europe.
Thanks to research and development over the past ten years, Australia reportedly produces rice in a way that is 50% more water-efficient than the global average, with SunRice cited as one company that is a leader in sustainable rice growing.
As momentum around the macadamia industry continues to grow, Australia has positioned itself as an environmentally friendly leader, with the nuts being native to the Oceanian country. Marquis Macadamia, one of the many Australian companies exhibiting at SIAL Paris 2022, saw its farm in Bundaberg become carbon positive earlier this year. 

The drive to zero waste 

Australia is determined to reduce waste in terms of packaging. The country has committed to making 100% of its packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. Many Australian companies are signatories of this, including Hive & Wellness’ Capilano Honey.  
Small Things Wine, a wine producer based in Western Australia, elects to package its wine in cans instead of bottles, with cans reportedly being 25 times more recyclable than glass. Production and transport of cans is observed to be more carbon-friendly too, according to the producer. 
Two companies that are committed to minimising waste by reusing their by-products are SunRice and Marquis Macadamias. The former creates products from rice by-products like rice hull, rice bran and broken rice, while the latter specialises in macadamia oil, once a by-product and now a versatile and popular commodity. 

Hall 4, Stand P118