Confectionery and dried fruit manufacturer, Robern Menz, has received the SARDI Innovation Award at the South Australian Premier’s Food Awards for ‘Robern FruBears’.
Now in their 11th year, the South Australian Premier’s Food Awards are a celebration of the state’s food industry and provide a benchmark to which all South Australian food businesses can aspire.
The SARDI Innovation Award recognises a businesses innovative thinking and practices in the development of products, packaging or processing to gain commercial advantage. This year’s awards were presented on November 14.
In 2006, Robern Menz successfully applied for a Federal Government AusIndustry grant to fund the development of a new range of healthy fruit snacks targeted predominantly at children aged four to eight.
The result was Robern FruBears, made from 100% fruit, containing no added sugar, flavours or colours and cut into the shape of miniature teddy bears.
The fruit snacks are available as 125gram packs through Woolworths nationally, as well as at selected major independent supermarkets nationally.
The product can be purchased in two varieties – dried apricot and dried apple — for a retail price of $2.95.
The range was launched to the Australian consumer market in November 2007.