SA CUSTOMERS will be able to find more ways to support local businesses with a partnership between the food and beverage industry and supermarkets helping to identify products from this state.
Food SA chief executive officer Catherine Sayer says the industry saw consumers moving online in significant numbers to order direct from South Australian businesses.
"South Australians have proven over and over again that they care enough to go the extra mile to support local brands," she said.
"While many retailers recognise the value of identifying local products in-store to help consumers find them on the shelves, there was a gap in the information available to retailers themselves in finding those South Australian products.
"We found there was no central body of data to help easily identify products that are both South Australian made and owned, and we discovered this was a key challenge for retailers.
Ms Sayer said as the peak body for the industry in the state, Food SA was ideally position to gather that data to benefit the retailers and the industry.
Food SA has been working with members for the past four months to compile the database, which now includes thousands of individual products.
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Ms Sayer said the SA Made and Owned database was a tool to help retailers actively support locally-made products, which would help SA manufacturers to grow their businesses while also helping customers easily find and buy these products.
"Our aim has been to facilitate growth for our members by enabling retailers to easily identify which products fit this criteria, which in turn means they can introduce point of sale identification on those products," Ms Sayer said.
"Having easy access to reliable information makes this a simple process for retailers and helps consumers when these products stand out on the shelf."
Ms Sayer said the SA Made and Owned program was being rolled out into Drakes Supermarkets from this week,with an advertising campaign planned to link in.
Drakes Supermarkets director John-Paul Drake said it was an important time to support the "local ecosystem".
"Our customers were begging us to make it easier to identify locally made and owned products on our shelves - of which we have thousands - and we're proud to have worked with Food SA to make this happen," he said.
"Supporting local means keeping the money in our great state - by buying a locally made and owned product, you're helping to create more jobs and opportunities right here on your homeground."
Food SA is also involved in consumer-facing campaigns for South Australian products through programs such as Eat Local SA, which focuses on food service venues heroing South Australian products, and I Choose SA, which covers all sectors of business in SA.
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