Northern Australia Food Technology Innovation Project

The Northern Australia Food Technology Innovation (NAFTI) project was established to investigate the business and technical case for producing shelf-stable foods using novel food-processing technologies in the Northern Territory and the north of Western Australia.

Shelf-stable foods are products that have been processed (thermally treated or dried) so that they can be safely stored in a sealed container at room temperature for a long time. These products can be distributed without being kept cold, which reduces costs and increases supply-chain resilience. Products that are thermally treated to sterility can also bypass most biosecurity barriers to interstate and international trade.

The project opens a pathway to drive economic growth and enhance regional food resilience.

The project proposes that an initial pilot plant be built to lower the risks of building a modern food-processing sector in the north. RDA NT awarded funding to NAFTI through the Seeding New Investment Fund to develop designs and cost estimates, aiming to create a ‘shovel-ready’ project for future investment.

Read more on the project aspistrategist.org.au/northern-australias-food-processing-opportunity