Apple product goes ‘full bottle’…

Sam Giacca from Sam’s Fresh Fruit and Veg with John Savio, producer of Upple.

An innovative, healthy snack food product from the Granite Belt has been short-listed as a finalist in two categories at the prestigious 2020 Australasian Food and Beverage Industry Awards.

Upple – a nutritious new product containing whole apple and packaged in a distinctive bottle custom-made from recycled plastic – was launched last week into the retail market at Sam’s Farm Fresh Fruit and Veg at Cottonvale.

“I’m very proud that Upple has been launched here,” said Sam Giacca, proprietor of the business.

“I always like to support local products and this is fantastic and unique – drinkable whole apple in a bottle!

“Lots of fibre, too, and made right here on the Savio’s farm at Pozieres.”

Significantly, Upple is not a juice but a smooth textured drinkable snack containing 99.9 per cent whole cored apples and a splash of vitamin C.

Unlike juice, Upple is full of apple goodness as it contains peel, pulp and fibre and no added sugar – a guaranteed minimum two grams of fibre in every bottle makes Upple a very satisfying snack, just like drinking an apple.

The launch of Upple creates a new beverage category in Australia ‘drinkable fruit’.

Produced on-site at the Savio family orchard at Pozieres near Stanthorpe in a HACCP accredited facility, the exciting concept has gained early recognition from the Food and Beverage Industry.

The 2020 Food and Beverage Awards will be announced later this month, with Upple a finalist in Convenience Product of the Year and Start-up of The Year.

Managing director John Savio said “we believe Upple is an outstanding product and this is very exciting development for the apple industry and the region”.

“Savio Healthy Innovations is a new arm of our business and we have worked closely with a small group of food industry professionals for three years to develop Upple,” John said.

“We have invested in and researched ways to make innovative products using quality whole eating apples which are just outside retail specifications.

“Upple is made right here in Pozieres in a purpose-built HACCP accredited food processing facility on the orchard.

“Apples are picked, washed, cored and processed on-site into Upple.

“Our process is unique and we have a patent application pending.

“Upple is available in two varieties, Pink Lady and Granny Smith, which are Australia’s most popular eating apples.”

The Savio family have been orchardists on the Granite Belt since 1949 when family patriarch, Pietro ‘Peter’ Savio departed Italy without his young wife and a two-month old son in search of a better life for his family.

Within one year he had purchased his own 29 acre farm at Pozieres, started growing apples and was reunited with his wife and son who followed from Italy. The family operation now encompasses a 125 hectare orchard with future farming land available.

• To find out more visit – www.upple.com.au