An Australian frozen fruit company is this week launching its fifth product to its range, 100% Australian grown pineapple pieces, following strong demand for its previous products.
Aussie Frozen Fruit CEO Brett Jackson says the new frozen pineapples are picked at maturity to lock in ripeness and flavour, and the 400-gram packs will be available exclusively at supermarket Woolworths.
"We are always on the lookout for new products and pineapples have been one in particular that we have been working on for quite some time," Mr Jackson said. "The early response from our customers has been very encouraging; and they have been enjoying it in smoothies, sorbets and even as a pizza topper. The quality and flavour of the pineapples are fantastic."
Mr Jackson explains while the fruit is the market-leading variety - Pure Gold Pineapples, it may be slightly misshapen or not quite right for the fresh market based on looks alone - but the product is perfect for freezing. He says there is nothing added to the fruit, which is simply washed, peeled, sliced, then snap frozen and sealed into packs, allowing consumers to enjoy pineapples all year round.
"The eating quality is fantastic, it is very different from the canned varieties as it's not soaked in syrup or juice, maintaining its texture and shape," he said. “As we receive the pineapple at its optimal maturity, it is put through a preparation process before it is snap frozen, so it holds onto that maturity and flavour. It goes from room temperature to minus 20 (degrees Celsius) in five minutes."
The company is currently partnered with Pure Gold Pineapples, whose growers are based out of Central Queensland and the Sunshine Coast. It is a mutually beneficial partnership as Aussie Frozen Fruit receives imperfect Pineapples that are ideal for their frozen packs and helps the growers to reduce food wastage.
"We are still a young business and have been operating for just over 12 months," he said. "What we are doing is pretty unique in Australia, and I think we are providing consumers with products that they have been searching for."
Aussie Frozen Fruit also produces Blueberries, Mixed Berries, Mangoes and Strawberries, and demand for all products has been strong over the past year, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We have some amazingly loyal consumers out there, and every chance to buy Australian, they take it. There certainly is a lot of demand from Australian consumers to support Australian businesses and Australian farmers.” Mr Jackson said. “There are so many great uses for Aussie Frozen Pineapple and we believe this will fast become a favourite with our customers."
Some examples, Mr Jackson listed for the frozen Pineapples include smoothies, sorbets, cocktails and desserts, as well as on a Hawaiian pizza.
For more information
Brett Jackson
Aussie Frozen Fruit
Phone: +61 3 5964 8101
[email protected]
www.aussiefrozenfruit.com.au