Ruqayyah Snyder
Freedom Foods is an Australian firm that owns a 130,000 sq m facility in Shepparton, Victoria, which is Australia's fourth-largest dairy plant. The company has a commitment to sustainability and has installed solar+storage arrays that have produced over 3 GWh of clean energy. Freedom Foods has also been involved in legal proceedings with Blue Diamond Growers, a California-based almond cooperative, which resulted in Freedom Foods being dismissed by the Federal Court of Australia.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Australian-owned | Yes |
| Dairy products | Milk, lactoferrin, UHT milk |
| Dairy plant size | 130,000 sq m |
| Dairy plant rank | Fourth largest in Australia |
| Ownership in AFMH | 10% |
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What You'll Learn
Freedom Foods is Australian-owned
Freedom Foods has a significant presence in the dairy industry, owning a 10% stake in Australian Fresh Milk Holdings (AFMH). Through this partnership, Freedom Foods sources milk from Moxey Farms and Coomboona Dairy for its dairy products. The company also has its own facility in Shepparton, which is Australia's fourth-largest dairy plant.
In addition to dairy, Freedom Foods produces and packages UHT milk and lactoferrin, a dairy protein with multiple health benefits. The demand for lactoferrin has been rising in Australia and Asia, and Freedom Foods has positioned itself to meet this demand.
The company has also been involved in legal proceedings in Australia, where it faced a lawsuit from Blue Diamond Growers, a Californian almond cooperative, over a license and distribution agreement.
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The company has a large solar+storage array
Freedom Foods is an Australian food and beverage manufacturing company. The company has a large solar+storage array at its Shepparton site in Victoria. The array consists of 3.8 MW of solar power and a 500 kW/1250 kWh battery array. This system was designed and installed by AEES Group and utilizes Fimer's high-powered string inverters. As a result of this system, Freedom Foods has achieved a significant milestone in sustainability by producing over 3 GWh of clean energy in the first nine months of operation. This amount of clean energy is equivalent to a monthly output of 500 MWh of electricity.
The solar and battery system is a testament to Freedom Foods' commitment to sustainability. The company's partnership with Fimer and AEES Group has resulted in the deployment of Fimer's largest string inverters, the PVS-175, which are claimed to deliver cost savings due to their high power density. The project is notable as one of the largest single rooftop solar power installations in Australia.
The Shepparton site, Australia's fourth-largest dairy plant, spans 130,000 square meters. Freedom Foods produces and packages UHT milk at this facility, with a yearly capacity of 250 million litres that is expected to double to 500 million litres with upgrades. The site also includes a section for the company's Nutritionals arm, which produces high-value-added dairy-based protein ingredient solutions for various sectors, including infant nutrition and functional food and beverages.
Freedom Foods' large solar+storage array showcases the company's dedication to sustainability and innovation in the Australian food and beverage industry. By investing in clean energy and improving energy efficiency, the company is not only reducing its environmental impact but also potentially benefiting from cost savings. This initiative sets a precedent for other companies in the industry to follow suit and contribute to a more sustainable future.
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It is Australia's fourth-largest dairy plant
Freedom Foods is an Australian firm that owns a 10% stake in Australian Fresh Milk Holdings (AFMH). The company's Shepparton site in Victoria, Australia, is said to be the country's fourth-largest dairy plant. Covering 130,000 square meters, the site produces and packages UHT milk, and also produces lactoferrin, a dairy protein with multiple health benefits.
The Shepparton site has undergone upgrades, including a recent upgrade to its UHT processing lines, which has doubled its yearly capacity from 250 million to 500 million litres. A section of the site is reserved for the company's Nutritionals arm, which produces high-value-added dairy-based protein ingredient solutions, including nutritional ingredients and premixes for infant nutrition, functional food and beverage products, and clinical and functional nutrition sectors.
The site also features a solar+storage array, which has produced more than 3 GWh of clean energy in its first nine months of operation. The array is one of the largest single rooftop solar power installations in Australia and is part of Freedom Foods' commitment to sustainability.
Freedom Foods' Australian ownership is evidenced by its operations in the country, including its Shepparton site, which is a significant contributor to the country's dairy industry. The company's efforts in sustainability and support of local dairy farms further demonstrate its investment in Australia.
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Freedom Foods owns 10% of AFMH
Freedom Foods is an Australian firm that produces and sells lactoferrin, UHT milk, and other dairy products. The company has a facility in Shepparton, Victoria, which is said to be Australia's fourth-largest dairy plant.
Freedom Foods owns a 10% stake in Australian Fresh Milk Holdings (AFMH), a partnership between the Moxey and Perich families. AFMH operates two dairy farms: Moxey Farms in New South Wales and Coomboona Farms in Northern Victoria. With the acquisition of Coomboona Dairy in 2019, AFMH increased its projected milk production to over 150 million litres, making it Australia's largest dairy producer.
Freedom Foods intended to use AFMH's dairy milk output to meet its milk supply needs for its UHT and other value-added products. Freedom Foods aimed to work closely with dairy farms to remove farmers from the cycle of volatility caused by short-term pricing.
In November 2021, Freedom Foods announced its disposal of AFMH as part of a strategy to focus on dairy, nutritionals, and plant-based beverages. The company retained its Milklab brand of dairy and alternative beverages, along with other brands in the same category, such as Australia's Own and So Natural milk brands.
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Blue Diamond arbitration in the US
Freedom Foods is an Australian firm that produces and packages UHT milk and plant-based drinks at its Shepparton facility in Victoria. In 2021, Freedom Foods headed to arbitration in the US to settle a dispute with its key supplier, Blue Diamond Growers.
Blue Diamond Growers is a group made up of nearly 3000 independent almond growers and the supplier of Almond Breeze milk products. The dispute arose when Blue Diamond alleged that Freedom Foods had breached their licensing agreement by manufacturing competing brands, including MilkLab and Australia's Own, which are not organic or private-label. Blue Diamond also claimed that Freedom Foods was “aggressively working to undermine Blue Diamond's market share for its own financial gain".
Freedom Foods countered these allegations by claiming that Blue Diamond had engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct, had not acted in good faith under the franchising code, and had breached Australian consumer law. The Federal Court of Australia ordered that the dispute be settled through Californian arbitration, with Justice Mark Moshinsky ruling that Australian consumer law must be applied to the proceedings.
Blue Diamond is seeking $26 million in damages from Freedom Foods and is also seeking to prohibit the sale of Freedom Foods' key growth brand, MilkLab. Freedom Foods must convince the arbitrator that the licensing deal with Blue Diamond was anti-competitive or that Blue Diamond engaged in illegal conduct under Australian law to avoid enforcement of the licensing agreement.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Freedom Foods is Australian-owned.
Freedom Foods produces and packages UHT milk and lactoferrin at its Shepparton facility in Australia.
Lactoferrin is a dairy protein with multiple health benefits, including immune system support, protection against bacterial, fungal and viral pathogens, intestinal health support, and iron metabolism regulation.
Freedom Foods has a commitment to sustainability. Its Shepparton site solar+storage array in Victoria has produced over 3 GWh of clean energy.
