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Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing Company

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Sanitarium Health Food Company
Company typePrivate
IndustryFood
FoundedMelbourne, Australia 1898
HeadquartersBerkeley Vale, Australia
Key people
Kevin Jackson, CEO
ProductsWeet-bix
Peanut butter
So-Good
Marmite
RevenueA$300 million
Number of employees
1700
WebsiteSanitarium Australia
Sanitarium New Zealand

The Sanitarium Health Food Company is a food company in Australia and New Zealand that produces a large range of breakfast cereals as well as a range of vegetarian products. Founded in 1898, its flagship product Weet-Bix is a top seller in the Australian and New Zealand breakfast cereal market. Sanitarium is wholly owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which affords them tax benefits as the company directs its profits back into the church, whilst maintaining a high level of corporate secrecy.

Sanitarium has factories in many locations across Australia and New Zealand, some of these include, Berkeley Vale, Cooranbong, Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane, Christchurch and Auckland.

History

Officially formed in 1898, the process of forming a health food company had been in discussions amongst Seventh-day Adventists in Australia for a number of years. To help the company get started, a baker by the name of Edward Halsey was called out from the United States, arriving in Sydney on November 8, 1897.

Products

Breakfast cereals

The Sanitarium factory in Christchurch, New Zealand
  • Weet-Bix, and its family of products:
    • Weet-Bix Crunch Honey
    • Weet-Bix Crunch Cocoa
    • Weet-Bix Multi-Grain (formerly Good Start)
    • Hi-bran
    • Weet-Bix Fruity (formerly Fruity-Bix)
    • Fruity-bix Bars
    • Weet-Bix Lite (formerly Lite-bix)
  • Granola
  • Granola Clusters
  • Puffed wheat
  • Honey Weets
  • Skippy Corn flakes
  • Skippy Ricies
  • Light'n'tasty

Convenient breakfast cereals

Weet Bix and So Good, two major products produced by Sanitarium
  • Up & Go, a milk breakfast drink. Up & Go is sold as a 250ml or 350ml single-serve beverage and is marketed towards busy young people. It is a popular product in Australia.[1] Up & Go was launched in both New Zealand and Australia in 1998 and released its 5th flavour, "Iced Coffee" in 2005. In 2007 Sanitarium also released the alternative fruit flavours "Mango & Peach" and "Banana & Honey".[2]
  • Fastbreak

Meals

  • Deli Luncheon
  • Lunch Today


Spreads

Marmite

Dairy Alternatives

  • So Good, and its family of products:
    • So Good Ice Cream
    • So Good Lite
    • Flavoured So-Good
    • Organics Simply Soy

Meat Alternatives

  • Vegie Delights range, which includes 4 kinds of vegan sausages
  • Savoury Lentils
  • Tender Pieces
  • Casserole Mince
  • Country Hotpot
  • Vegetarian Sausages
  • Nutmeat
  • Nutolene
  • Rediburger


  • Sanitarium brand nuts and confectionery.

Gizmos and Gadgets

In 2005 Sanitarium New Zealand created a loyalty program which involves collecting cards found in cereal packets and uploading the codes found on them by text messaging or by website. Customers then gain points, the number of points decided by the amount and type of the cereal. Points may be redeemed for free or cheaper (than recommended retail price) items.

Qualifying Cereals

Not all Sanitarium cereals qualify for 'Gizmos and Gadgets'. The following do:

  • Ricies
  • Skippy Cornflakes
  • Weet-Bix Fruity
  • Weet-Bix Crunch
  • Honey Puffs

References

  • Parr, R., & Litster, G. (c1996). "What Hath God Wrought!": The Sanitarium Health Food Company Story. Berkely Vale: Sanitarium Health Food Company
  • Leap of Faith "Tax Breaks"

See also