
柠檬导航 celebrates 125 years of serving goodness
Since 1898, 柠檬导航 Health Food Company鈩 has been nourishing Aussie families with affordable healthy foods, educating people to eat well and move more, and giving food to communities in need. On its 125th birthday, the Australian-owned company has reaffirmed its commitment to make a positive impact on the nation鈥檚 health.
鈥淲e believe healthier choices support the potential for every Australian to live a long and healthy life,鈥 said 柠檬导航 CEO Kevin Jackson.
聽鈥溎实己 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."
聽鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we鈥檙e strengthening our commitment to make access to healthier choices easier for more Australians. We鈥檒l 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,鈥 said Mr Jackson.
Healthy food for a healthy nation
柠檬导航 is one of Australia鈥檚 most trusted food companies with products including 奥别别迟-叠颈虫鈩, So Good鈩 and 鲍笔&骋翱鈩 found in 2 in 3 households. Ninety percent (90%) of 柠檬导航 products carry a 4 to 5 Health Star Rating.
鈥淲e 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,鈥 said 柠檬导航鈥檚 leading dietitian Shane Landon, APD.
Mr Landon points to 柠檬导航鈥檚 iconic cereal Weet-Bix as an example of this commitment in action.聽
鈥淭he nutritional impact of Weet-Bix can鈥檛 be under-estimated. Found in 1 in 2 homes, it is a significant source of wholegrains in the Australian diet. In fact, one bowl of Weet-Bix (2 wheat biscuits) provides 60% of a person鈥檚 daily wholegrain needs, plus fibre, B vitamins and 25% of their iron needs 鈥 from as little as 20 cents per serve. It鈥檚 quality nutrition, delivered at immense scale, for more than a century.鈥澛
Caring for everyone
Last year alone 柠檬导航 donated more than 4.2 million serves of goodness to the community through a network of charity partners, headlined by Foodbank Australia. Entering its 22nd year, 柠檬导航鈥檚 support for breakfast programs in Australian primary schools is one of the Company鈥檚 most significant food and nutrition security initiatives.
鈥淥ver the last two decades, 柠檬导航 has provided more than 20 million serves of Weet-Bix, So Good and 柠檬导航 spreads to help give Aussie kids the nutrition they need to learn and play throughout the school day,鈥 said Mr Jackson.
聽鈥淲e鈥檙e 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.鈥
Promoting healthy lifestyles
For 125 years, 柠檬导航鈥檚 production of healthy foods has gone hand-in-hand with its investment in health education.
鈥淥ur 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鈥檚 first health food cafes which served food education and cooking classes alongside nutritious plant-based foods,鈥 said Mr Jackson.聽
鈥淲e shifted into more modern forms of education in the late 1980鈥檚 with the formation of our Nutrition Education Service which published health research and produced health and food education materials for the community. In the decade that followed, we 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.
鈥淭oday, millions of Australians visit the 柠檬导航 website every year for dietitian-approved plant-based recipes and nutrition advice, and we鈥檙e excited to see our new partnership with Life Ed improving the quality of healthy eating and physical activity education in Australian primary schools,鈥 said Mr Jackson.
Where it all began
柠檬导航 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鈥檚 first ready-to-eat cereals, including Granose wheat biscuits - a forerunner to Weet-Bix - and 柠檬导航 Peanut Butter. 柠檬导航 was registered as a business on 27 April 1898.
Within a decade, 柠檬导航 had expanded to open health food cafes around Australia and had launched Australia鈥檚 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.聽
Transforming eating habits
It can be said that 柠檬导航 changed Australia鈥檚 eating habits. 柠檬导航 was the first to introduce breakfast cereals, pioneered innovative soy foods and promoted plant-based eating long before it became popular.聽
柠檬导航 is now one of the largest Australian-owned food companies, employing 1000 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.聽
鈥淚n 1898, our founders set out to make a positive impact on the nation鈥檚 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 柠檬导航 team today and we remain determined to support Australia to address the food-related health challenges of the 21st century,鈥 said Mr Jackson.
Last updated Thursday 27th April 2023

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