Damon Mcknight
The Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing Company is the trade name of two sister food companies: Australian Health and Nutrition Association Ltd and New Zealand Health Association Ltd. Sanitarium Australia is owned and operated by Australians, while Sanitarium New Zealand is owned and operated by New Zealanders. Both are wholly owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and are therefore exempt from paying company taxes in Australia and New Zealand.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ownership | Owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church |
| Country | Australia and New Zealand |
| Headquarters | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Employees | 265 across New Zealand |
| Products | Plant-based, vegetarian, and health food products |
| Tax status | Income tax-exempt in Australia and New Zealand |
| Purpose | 'Changing lives every day through whole-person health' |
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What You'll Learn
Sanitarium Australia is owned and operated by Australians
Sanitarium Australia manufactures and markets food products that are plant-derived or vegetarian. The company is passionate about the health and wellbeing of every Australian, believing in the potential to be healthy: physically, mentally, and emotionally. They also believe in the potential to be happy and to live life with purpose. Sanitarium Australia is a signatory to the Responsible Children's Marketing Initiative (RCMI), which is managed by the Australian Food & Grocery Council. This means the company commits to only advertising healthier choices to children and encouraging a healthy lifestyle through good diet and physical activity.
Sanitarium Australia pays all local, state, and federal taxes that apply to Australian companies, including payroll tax, fringe benefits tax, stamp duty, and GST. The company does not pay company profit tax as all profits go to the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Australia, which uses the money for charitable purposes. Sanitarium Australia is a registered charity and is endorsed by the Australian Charities and Not for Profit Commission (ACNC) and the Australia Tax Office as income tax-exempt.
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Sanitarium New Zealand is owned and operated by New Zealanders
The Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing Company is the trade name of two sister food companies: Australian Health and Nutrition Association Ltd and New Zealand Health Association Ltd. While the company was founded in Melbourne, Victoria, in 1898, and has factories in both Australia and New Zealand, Sanitarium New Zealand and Sanitarium Australia are now separate companies. Sanitarium New Zealand is owned and operated by New Zealanders and is 100% New Zealand-owned. The company employs 265 people across New Zealand, representing diverse communities. Its head office and food manufacturing facility are in Auckland.
Sanitarium New Zealand is wholly owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and all profits go to the church in New Zealand, who use much of it for charitable purposes. The company is a registered charity and has been granted income tax exemption status by the Internal Revenue Department. Sanitarium’s primary purpose is the promotion of health food products, which aligns with the ‘whole person health’ objectives of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The company's purpose of ‘changing lives every day through whole person health’ is evidenced through its nutritious foods, free digital nutrition resources and health education programs, and its free nutrition expert advisory service available for the community and health professionals.
Sanitarium New Zealand exports its products to its South Pacific Island neighbours. Its business operations benefit the New Zealand community and economy through employment, the purchase of New Zealand-grown ingredients, and working with many New Zealand businesses that help promote and move its products through the supply chain.
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Sanitarium is wholly owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing Company is the trade name of two sister food companies: Australian Health and Nutrition Association Ltd and New Zealand Health Association Ltd. Both are wholly owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The company was founded in Melbourne, Victoria, in 1898, and has factories in Australia and New Zealand, producing a large range of breakfast cereals and vegetarian products. All the food products it manufactures and markets are plant-derived or vegetarian.
The health focus of Sanitarium began in the 1890s at the Battle Creek Sanitarium in Michigan, USA, where doctors introduced their patients to natural remedies and simple, unprocessed foods. Based on the teachings of Seventh-day Adventist Ellen G. White, the doctors advocated for healthier eating, drinking fresh water, and exercising outdoors to help people 'learn to stay well' (the meaning of the word Sanitarium). The Battle Creek Sanitarium was world-renowned and became the go-to place for the rich and famous to learn and practice the principles of a healthy lifestyle.
Sanitarium Australia and Sanitarium New Zealand are separate companies but work together. They pay all taxes except profit tax, as all profits go to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which uses the money for charitable purposes. Sanitarium is a registered charity and has been granted income tax exemption status by the Internal Revenue Department in New Zealand and the Australian Tax Office in Australia.
The company's flagship product is Weet-Bix, sold in Australia and New Zealand. Other products include So Good, a brand of non-dairy beverages, foods, and desserts that are lactose, cholesterol, and gluten-free, and Up & Go, a range of liquid breakfast products.
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Sanitarium's factories are in Australia and New Zealand
The Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing Company is the trade name of two sister food companies: Australian Health and Nutrition Association Ltd and New Zealand Health Association Ltd. Both are wholly owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The company was founded in Melbourne, Victoria, in 1898 and has factories in Australia and New Zealand.
Sanitarium has factories in several locations in Australia, including Berkeley Vale in New South Wales, Carmel in Perth, Western Australia, and Brisbane, Queensland. In the past, it also had factories in other locations, including Warburton, Victoria, which operated from 1938 to 1997, Hackney in Adelaide, South Australia, which closed in October 2010, and Cooranbong, which closed in 2018.
In New Zealand, Sanitarium has a head office and food manufacturing facility in Auckland. In the past, it also had factories in other locations, including Palmerston North, which closed in the late 1990s, and Christchurch, where a factory was established or expanded in the 1930s, 1940s, or early 1950s.
The factories in Australia and New Zealand produce a large range of breakfast cereals and vegetarian products. All the food products manufactured and marketed by Sanitarium are plant-derived or vegetarian. Some of their well-known products include Weet-Bix, Granose, Honey Puffs, Marmite, Up & Go, and So Good.
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Sanitarium is exempt from paying company tax on its profits
The Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing Company is the trade name of two sister food companies: Australian Health and Nutrition Association Ltd and New Zealand Health Association Ltd. Both are wholly owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The company was founded in Melbourne, Victoria, in 1898, and has factories in Australia and New Zealand. It produces a large range of breakfast cereals, vegetarian products, and non-dairy beverages, with its flagship product being Weet-Bix, sold in Australia and New Zealand.
Sanitarium Australia and Sanitarium New Zealand are now separate companies, but they work together. The New Zealand arm of the company is a registered charity and has been granted income tax exemption status by the Internal Revenue Department. It is exempt from paying company tax on its profits due to its ownership by a religious organization. On its website, Sanitarium defends its tax exemption, stating that it operates exclusively for charitable purposes and that income tax exemptions are available to all companies and individuals in New Zealand who limit themselves to charitable purposes. Similarly, the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission (ACNC) and the Australia Tax Office endorse Sanitarium as income tax-exempt, as the company's primary purpose is the promotion of health food products, which aligns with the 'whole person health' objectives of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Some sources claim that Sanitarium is not entirely tax-exempt, as it still pays tax on retained earnings, including any money reinvested into the company. Additionally, the company donates most of its pre-donation profits to the church, which is considered charitable giving and is deductible. If Sanitarium lost its tax-exempt status, it would start paying income tax on its profits and then pay fully imputed dividends to the church. However, this would result in the church receiving 28% less than what it currently receives, with the balance going to the government as income tax.
Despite its tax exemption status, Sanitarium has faced criticism for tax avoidance, particularly as it is a private corporation and not required to disclose its profits. However, the company operates within the law, as it donates all its profits to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, resulting in a tax deduction that brings its effective profit for tax purposes close to zero.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Sanitarium Australia is owned and operated by Australians while Sanitarium New Zealand is owned and operated by New Zealanders. Both are wholly owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Sanitarium pays all local, state, and federal taxes that apply to Australian companies, including payroll tax, fringe benefits tax, stamp duty, and GST. However, they do not pay company profit tax as all profits go to the Seventh-day Adventist Church for charitable purposes.
Sanitarium manufactures and markets plant-derived or vegetarian food products. Its flagship product is Weet-Bix, sold in Australia and New Zealand. They also produce Up & Go, a liquid breakfast product, and So Good, a brand of non-dairy beverages, foods, and desserts.
