The new SA Food Centre – the ‘first stop’ facility to assist South Australian food businesses grow and develop – is officially open.
The Centre combines for the first time, the state’s leading industry experts under one roof. It aims to give businesses easy access to key industry and government services, as well as offer hands-on assistance in the areas of packaging, testing, food science and product development.
“The SA Food Centre will help South Australian businesses grow and prosper, to identify and cultivate new markets and provide greater opportunities to expand their operations through innovation and promotion,” Premier Mike Rann said at the launch of the Centre.
“It represents a unique collaboration between industry and government and it stands as a testament to the vision and determination of the food industry in this state.”
Services at the Centre include:
“Everything to assist food businesses grow and develop is located under the one roof,” said Richard Heyneman, Director, Food and Business Innovation, PIRSA.
Richard said the SA Food Centre was 10 years in the making and would provide an invaluable resource for SA food businesses.
“It will be a focal point for industry development. Food businesses won’t have to go to multiple places to seek help; a range of people and resources will all be available in the one facility”.
The South Australian Food Centre is a partnership between Primary Industries and Resources SA (PIRSA), South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), Department of Trade and Economic Development (DTED) and TAFE SA and has been established under the South Australian Food Plan 2007-2010 to achieve the target of 8% growth in finished foods per year.
To connect to the SA Food Centre and see how it can help grow your food business, your first step is to contact the Industry Development Officer (IDO) in your region.
Contact
South Australian Food Centre
a Regency International Centre
Days Rd (Main Entrance)
Regency Park, SA 5010
p +61 8 8348 4095
f +61 8 8348 2484
e safoodcentre@saugov.sa.gov.au
Need assistance with supply chain logistics? Want to improve processes? Seeking some general business advice? DTED might just have the answers.
DTED is partnering with PIRSA, SARDI and TAFE SA to offer a diverse range of services to SA food businesses through the SA Food Centre.
They have already been working with the PIRSA Food Team in the area of product development capabilities – and will continue this role at the SA Food Centre.
“Our product development staff can assist food businesses in identifying paths to market for their products and services and help them refine their product to meet market needs,” Greg Boundy, the Manager of the SA Centre for Innovation said.
“We can also provide assistance to food manufacturers to improve the efficiency of their operations through access to lean manufacturing principles and techniques through our LEANetwork specialist group.”
“In addition, we have other services in
the areas of supply chain logistics, process improvement and general business advice that can be accessed through the SA Food Centre.”
DTED works with business and the community to increase business investment, maintain an internationally competitive business climate, encourage innovation and promote trade.
The Centre for Innovation was established in 2005 to help South Australian businesses increase sales by opening new markets or increasing sales in existing markets.
It provides tools and networking skills
needed to meet the challenges of being
a successful innovator.
Cheese maker Kris Lloyd has been asked to make a high-moisture, no-salt cheese for a chef in Melbourne.
Just transporting it to Melbourne will take a week, so it’s crucial she knows exactly what shelf life she can expect for that particular cheese.
While Kris always does her own trials, she says it’s the type of issue she can turn to the SA Food Centre for assistance in the future.
“Having a resource like the Centre that is able to assist with issues such as shelf life trials would be very helpful,” she said.
Kris says the Centre will be able to help food businesses out with a wide range of issues confronting their business - “and if they’re not able to directly assist, they can source outside help in an effort to resolve the issue.”
All of this added up to a welcome time saver - and peace of mind for food producers.
“Having an extra set of hands available in the form of professional expertise will be great.”