On its 125th birthday, Sanitarium Health Food Company has increased its investment in health education and committed to advancing food and nutrition security, saying it is just as committed to making a positive impact on Australia's health as when it began.
Sanitarium began in a neighbourhood bakery in Northcote, Melbourne, after a small group of Seventh-day Adventists migrated from Battle Creek, Michigan bringing foods made by Dr John Harvey Kellogg for patients at his health institute. In January 1898, Edward Halsey, who had trained with Dr Kellogg, commenced making the Company’s first ready-to-eat cereals, including Granose wheat biscuits – a forerunner to Weet-Bix – and Sanitarium Peanut Butter. Sanitarium was registered as a business on 27 April 1898.
Within a decade, it had expanded to open health food cafes around Australia and had launched Australia’s first plant-based meat-alternative, Nuttose. When the fledgling food company made its first profits in 1906, it donated them to support health education in the South Pacific Islands.
Sanitarium CEO Kevin Jackson said the company believes healthier choices support the potential for every Australian to live a long and healthy life.
“Sanitarium was founded with the core purpose of helping Australians to eat well and live well. This purpose remains just as important today, particularly as families struggle with the growing impacts of lifestyle-related chronic diseases, food insecurity and cost-of-living pressures.
“That’s why we’re strengthening our commitment to make access to healthier choices easier for more Australians. We’ll do this through the affordable healthy foods we make, increasing our investment in health education, and by doing more to develop food and nutrition security for all,” said Jackson.
Healthy food for a healthy nation
Sanitarium is one of Australia’s most trusted food companies with products including Weet-Bix, So Good and Up&Go found in two in three households. 90 per cent of Sanitarium products carry a 4 to 5 Health Star Rating. Weet-Bix was voted Australia's most trusted breakfast food in a 2016 survey by Reader's Digest.
Sanitarium leading dietitian Shane Landon points to Sanitarium’s iconic cereal Weet-Bix as an example of commitment in action, delivering 'nutrition at immense scale, for more than a century'.
“We have an enduring commitment to make great-tasting and convenient foods that most importantly represent good value nutrition. Getting this balance right is critical in making a sustainable difference to the health of our nation.
“The nutritional impact of Weet-Bix can’t be under-estimated, and is a significant source of wholegrains in the Australian diet. One bowl of Weet-Bix (2 wheat biscuits) provides 60 per cent of a person’s daily wholegrain needs, plus fibre, B vitamins and 25 per cent of their iron needs – from as little as 20 cents per serve,” said Landon.
Donating nutrition
Last year Sanitarium donated more than 4.2 million serves of Weet-Bix to the community through a network of charity partners, headlined by Foodbank Australia. Entering its 22nd year, Sanitarium’s support for breakfast programs in Australian primary schools is one of the company’s most significant food and nutrition security initiatives.
“Over the last two decades, Sanitarium has provided more than 20 million serves of Weet-Bix, So Good and Sanitarium spreads to help give Aussie kids the nutrition they need to learn and play throughout the school day.
“We’re always ready to help Australians doing it tough, donating food to communities impacted by natural disasters, and providing ongoing support to food pantries who offer a lifeline to people in need,” said said Jackson.
Nutrition Education Service
Sanitarium’s production of healthy foods has gone hand-in-hand with its investment in health education.
“Our goal has always been to give all Australians access to the knowledge, resources and skills they need to make healthier choices. In 1901 we opened Australia’s first health food cafes which served food education and cooking classes alongside nutritious plant-based foods,” said Jackson.
Sanitarium shifted into more modern forms of education in the late 1980’s with the formation of its Nutrition Education Service, which published health research and produced health and food education materials for the community. In the decade that followed, it launched the Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon to lift physical activity rates among primary school aged children, with a nationwide event series held annually around Australia until 2020.
“Today, millions of Australians visit the Sanitarium website every year for dietitian-approved plant-based recipes and nutrition advice, and we’re excited to see our new partnership with Life Education improving the quality of healthy eating and physical activity education in Australian primary schools,” said Jackson.
Sanitarium is now one of the largest Australian-owned food companies, employing 1200 people across six Australian sites and exporting products to almost 40 countries. Its head office is at Berkeley Vale on the Central Coast of New South Wales.
“In 1898, our founders set out to make a positive impact on the nation’s health. They were motivated by a great sense of purpose, underpinned by their desire to serve the community, and ultimately care for people. This same purpose continues to ignite the passion in our Sanitarium team today and we remain determined to support Australia in addressing the food-related health challenges of the 21st century,” said Jackson.
Sanitarium Health Food Company is #48 on the Food & Drink Business 2022 Top 100 Food & Drink Companies report.
