Hepatitis-A contaminated frozen berries imported from China have been stealing Aussie headlines this week. And this has really made us think about the food we buy.
We had to stop and ask ourselves…
If we are happy to buy premium brand shoes, clothes, cars and electronics, why do we often choose cheaper, inferior food?
Our supermarkets are chock full of imported groceries. And scarily, something like 90% of imported products aren’t quality checked on their way to our supermarket shelves.
Pre-kids, we did most of our shopping at the local farmers markets, but that has fallen away. Battling the hordes with two small kids isn’t much fun! Going with a pram was just asking for frazzled and stressed out parents.
So (somewhat lazily) we went back to supermarkets. And then without noticing we started making decisions based on price instead of quality.
It’s an easy trap to fall into because as you scan the supermarket shelf we can compare which brand has the cheapest price per kilo, and pop it into the trolley without a 2nd thought (or maybe you’re distracted trying to stop the toddler from chucking in another box of Peppa Pig cupcake mix) 
But there are other pros and cons that you really should be thinking about that go beyond the price and even the ingredients list.
Why should we choose Australian made food and products?
There are stacks of economic reasons why you should buy Australian products and you have probably heard them before. Buying Australian provides Australian jobs and keeps the country strong.
Economics aside, Australian quality and manufacturing standards are excellent. Australian grown food is premium food.
That is why foreign corporations are increasingly buying our farms. Korea alone already owns 500,000 hectares of farmland in NSW. Qatar, China, USA, UK and Switzerland all own farmland in Australia and are looking for more for their own food security.
So the best reason for buying Australian food and products – one that that you don’t often realise (and may sound completely arrogant) – is that you are worthy and deserving of them.
What you eat is the cornerstone of good health so you should be choosing the best food you can. Organic food grown in Australia is ideal but isn’t affordable for everyone.
We believe Australian grown food is the next best option.
The Nanna-Poo-Berry scare has switched us back on. Hooray! It’s a bit of a shame it has taken something drastic like this to make us aware, but let’s learn from this and become better for it.
Australians are questioning where our food is coming from, which is a REALLY good thing.
Personally, we have taken a close look at our shopping habits to make sure we are buying the best products for our own health. We won’t be ditching the supermarket, but we will be choosing Australian options whenever we can. It’s worth the extra few cents.
Join us and start reading the fine print on the back of your labels!
If in doubt, look for “Product of Australia”, our good ol’ green and gold “Australian Made, Australian Owned” logo, and the Dick Smith Foods brand (we think this is a goodie because all profits go to charity). You can also visit the Australian Made or AUSBUY websites to search for brands (you’ll also find us there on the Australian made site!).
It doesn’t have to be the most expensive to be the best but usually the best isn’t the cheapest.
Let us know if you have any favourite Australian brands 
