Baby food goes green

And if promising growth in US sales continues, turnover is expected to exceed $1 million this year.

Christchurch sisters Charlotte Rebbeck and Lizzie Dyer established the company in 2004 because they were concerned about the fillers and other additives in much ready-made baby food.
 
Their answer was to create a range of fruit and vegetable purees made from organically grown New Zealand produce.

A packaging redesign by the company was recognized in one of three awards Green Monkey received at last year’s Massey University Food Awards. A short time later it also picked up an Organic Enterprise award from Organics Aotearoa New Zealand.

The catchy company name is based on a nickname bestowed on Charlotte by her then three-year-old nephew, plus the fact that vegetables are also known as ‘greens,’ and parents often refer to their children as “little monkeys.”

Initially the organic baby food was sold frozen, but last year production moved to Kaweka Foods in Hastings which vacuum packs the purees in special multi-layer pouches that can be stored unopened at room temperature for up to six months.

Kaweka Foods has expertise in heat- and-eat meals in pouches and Rebbeck says the business relationship has been a real win, win for both companies. “Their factory is out of this world and is up to U.S FDA standards, which makes it a lot easier for us sending product offshore.”

The pouches were so popular with consumers it was decided to discontinue the frozen version, which   Rebbeck says was harder to manage, particularly for export.

Green Monkey began exporting early on and sells small volumes to Hong Kong, Dubai, and Vietnam.

Despite its proximity Rebbeck says the Australian market is challenging.

“They respect New Zealand products, but Australians are very patriotic and tend to buy their own stuff. Ours being a super premium product at a super premium price, we’re better off focusing on markets that recognize that quality and will pay for it.”

Which is precisely why Green Monkey is focusing on the U.S.  “The growth of organic baby food in the U.S has been dramatic. According to The Nielsen Company, in 2007 organic baby food sales soared 21.6 per cent in one year to $116 million, overall baby food sales rose 3.1 per cent to $3.7 billon in the same year.”

The target market is parents who generally make their own baby food, or used to but no longer have time.