A beloved Australian company has bad news for peanut butter lovers after making big cuts to its popular breakfast range.
Sanitarium Health Food Company confirmed Tuesday that it had ceased production of all versions of soft and crunchy peanut butters in July.
The decision was due to “declining customer demand and the growth of other favorites.”
“Every jar has been proudly produced by our people and we thank all our loyal consumers over the last 100 years for loving our quality range of peanut butters,” a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.
“Sanitarium understands that this may be sad news for some consumers and we sincerely apologize for any disappointment caused.”
This follows Sanitarium’s decision earlier this year to end production of several breakfast cereals in New Zealand.
Starting next June, the brand’s muesli, granola, cluster and puff pastry cereals will stop being produced starting in 2025.
The spokesperson said Australians will not be affected by the change.
Sanitarium has confirmed that it has ceased production of its peanut butter range (pictured)
The research revealed that 20 per cent of New Zealanders were ditching traditional flake cereals in favor of a hot drink or liquid breakfast.
“The breakfast market is changing and we have seen a global shift away from some cereal formats,” said Sanitarium New Zealand managing director Michael Barton. 1News.
“We need to align our production with evolving consumer appetite and demand trends.”
Barton said Sanitarium is consulting with staff to ensure they receive “full support at this unsettling and challenging time.”
Sanitarium Health Food Company said the decision was due to “declining customer demand.”
Marketing expert Professor Bodo Lang believes Sanitarium’s withdrawal from the peanut butter market is part of efforts to bolster its dwindling product portfolio.
“(This) will allow Sanitarium to concentrate on its core brands, which are Weet-Bix and Up&Go, (and) focus its resources, including paid promotion in supermarkets, to more effectively cut through the clutter of the highly competitive food market for breakfast,” he said.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission recently authorized Australian management to buy Vita Brits, a rival to its flagship product Weet-Bix.
The consumer watchdog found that, while the products are similar, Vita Brits was unlikely to be a strong competitive constraint on Weet-Bix if the proposed acquisition was not approved.
“We tested the close competition between Weet-Bix and Vita Brits products and found that consumers do not tend to switch between the two,” said ACCC Commissioner Dr Philip Williams.
‘This finding was consistent with the feedback we received from market investigations. We have found that the proposed acquisition is not likely to substantially reduce competition.’
Founded in Melbourne in 1898, Sanitarium has factories in Australia and New Zealand.
The company is wholly owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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