Sanitarium Health Food Company

Here is more good information from the Church Heritage Manual: Ellen White sailed for Australia and remained there for nine years. This period includes several months spent in New Zealand. While in Australia, she founded Avondale College, and encouraged the establishment of health food factories. As a result, the Sanitarium Health Food Company was established in 1898. Today it is a very successful major supplier of health foods in the South Pacific, as well as a big financial backer of the South Pacific Division. Just like Little Debbie, and (sort of) Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, the Australian/New Zealand enterprise currently known as Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing Company is indeed (as the Heritage Manual puts it) “Very successful.” The Wikipedia article displays a photograph of one of the several factories the company operates in Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia. The article does not state that this factory happens to be located in the same neck of the woods as Avondale College. Ellen White’s son, Willie, who accompanied her on her nine-year mission (or exile, if you prefer) to Australia convinced one of the bakers of Battle Creek that worked for Kellogg’s, Edward Halsey, to join him down under. The baker, who presumably knew all of the techniques required for the production of breakfast cereal, arrived in 1897. In 1900 he relocated to New Zealand. The Aussie and New Zealand companies are separate endeavors, but don’t mind cooperating with each other if the need should arise. Neither branch pays tax on the profits from their sales, as they are owned by religious organizations. Despite criticism by many regarding this exemption, the companies assert that all of their proceeds are directed toward charitable causes (rather like the “Newman’s Own” brand in the USA). They do well to offer the inhabitants of this corner of the world some healthful alternative foodstuffs, and they do well to dedicate the profits into charitable causes.