Natural Ingredients sources, imports and distributes fruit and vegetable ingredients for customers in the manufacturing, food service and retail industries.
The company offers a comprehensive range of frozen and aseptically packed fruits and vegetables for a variety of applications. Options available include certified organic ingredients and sustainably grown fruit.
Natural Ingredients’ expertise spans individually quick frozen (IQF) products, purees, pastes and concentrated / not-from-concentrate (NFC) juices. It also distributes a range of seeds, fibres and powders derived from fruits and vegetables.
With a focus on food safety, the company is a preferred supplier for several high-profile manufacturers in Australia and New Zealand.
Fruit and vegetable ingredients for food product development
Natural Ingredients combines its scientific background with decades of technical knowledge to support clients throughout the product development process.
The firm’s cost-effective solutions deliver year-round availability for food service clients in Australian and New Zealand, without compromising on quality.
The company partners with leading global manufacturers to deliver new fruit and vegetable innovations. Recent examples include Natavo Frozen Avocado and the Nice Fruit range from Spain. Natavo is a frozen Avocado available in chunks, slices and pulp that is treated using a natural, physical process to inactivate browning enzymes. The process is 100% natural, uses no additives and increases the shelf life of Avocado for up to ten days, which opens up applications for Avocado that were previously not possible such as ready meals and sandwiches.
The Nice Fruit Range uses patented technology to protect the fruits’ cell structure during the freeze / thaw process, enabling the use of frozen fruit to replace fresh fruit in many applications. Customers benefit from the convenience of frozen fruits in traditional fresh fruit uses such salad bars, healthy snacks in quick-service restaurants and in the broader food service industry.
Quality assurance services
Natural Ingredients regularly inspects its key suppliers to ensure that their facilities meet legal requirements. It contracts third-party auditors to evaluate and test products to ensure that packaging meets agreed specifications.
The company employs quality assurance (QA) and management staff worldwide to strengthen its practices, help maintain positive supplier relationships and provide up-to-date market intelligence.
Natural Ingredients’ high attention to detail avoids reputational damage and litigation risk from product quality shortcomings and recalls. The company believes that its dedication to food safety adds significant value
Pre-packed fruit and vegetables for the retail industry
Natural Ingredients provides packed-at-origin fruit and vegetables that are ready for retail. It also offers a packing service for manufacturers and organises the production of the packaging itself.
The firm is experienced in designing and sourcing polybags, bag-in-box and rigid tub containers with pack sizes ranging from 100g. The company optimises packing costs and reduces food safety risks by eliminating double-handling of the fruit.
Natural Ingredients’ packing solution simplifies customer business models by ensuring that products are ready to go to market once imported.
Natural Ingredients contracts farmers around the world to make sure clients have access to its services at all times of the year.
The company delivers fruit and vegetables on a just-in-time basis from warehouse locations across Australia and New Zealand.
Natural Ingredients responds quickly to demand and maintains lower transportation costs.
About Natural Ingredients
Natural Ingredients was founded in 2006 by Shane Bukovinsky, who has grown the business over the past 15 years alongside his business partner Henriette de Koning.
Shane and Henriette bring more than 30 years of international food industry experience in sourcing, manufacturing, sales and marketing.
The company commits to sustainability across its businesses. Its Natural Ingredients’ Food Forever arm has recently introduced a Rainforest Alliance Certified sustainably grown frozen fruit range to the Australian retail market.
This is one of the first product ranges in the frozen fruit category to be certified sustainably grown. The products are also packed in a re-usable and recyclable tub.
The fruit used in this product range is grown in a manner that complies with internationally recognised agricultural sustainability standards. This certification gives consumers assurance that the farms’ biodiversity is protected and that farmers and their workers have safe working conditions and fair pay.
Natural Ingredients firmly believes that sustainably grown agricultural practices are the way forward due to this holistic approach. The company achieves high-value for consumers through high-yielding, sustainably grown crops that are not only safe and healthy but verified to be compliant with farm practices that are protecting biodiversity and farm workers.