FAQ

DO YOU IMPORT PRODUCE FROM OVERSEAS?

It might sound crazy but it’s actually cheaper to import! We choose to support local, so 100% of our berries are grown and packed in Australia. We can guarantee freshness and quality this way, especially by only working with farmers who adhere to our standards of MINIMAL INTERVENTION GROWING. Our family grows berries in the Moreton Bay and Granite Belt, and our ever-expanding network of Australian growers ranges from Bundaberg to Byron Bay and beyond (Tasmania even)! This means our supply is basically year-round, and protects us from pesky weather adversities hindering our entire supply.

ARE YOU ORGANIC?

No, we are not. Let us tell you why. Of all the fruits grown here in Australia, berries have notoriously been highly sprayed. Why? Because pests simply love them. They’re delicious! This is why lots of people associate sprays with berries.

The team at My Berries are committed to working with farmers that grow as naturally as possible and avoid unnecessary use of sprays. So, while we are not certified organic we love that our growers are so passionate about the constant care they provide to their crops. Preparing soils naturally, maintaining healthy populations of good bugs and bees, and remedying fungal and pest issues as they arise is more our style. Similar to the wine industry, we refer to this farming approach as ‘minimal intervention’.

DO YOU USE SPRAYS?

We don't claim to be pesticide free — we work with growers who only intervene on their crops when they really need to. We empower our growers to take charge of what they know best: growing. Adversities in weather, pests and diseases can strike at any time and it is up to them to protect their crops and their livelihoods as they see fit.

Having said that, we require our growers to submit the results of regular and unannounced chemical residue testing to satisfy us that they are committed to our minimal intervention policies. We hope you place trust in us to offer you a safe and delicious product that is true to our commitment to minimal intervention. Want to know about specific techniques we apply to growing? Read more about OUR GROWING METHODS.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BUYING FROZEN?

Berries are fussy little fellas that don’t last long once picked, so buying frozen is a great way to have quality Australian berries on hand at all times. Not to mention the warm fuzzies of buying Australian: supporting local farmers and reducing the carbon emissions associated with international imports.

ARE AUSTRALIAN BERRIES SAFE TO EAT?

We took a lot from that Hepatitis A scare back in 2015,16 and 17 that affected imported frozen berries. It reinforced what we already knew: that Australian growers really are going above and beyond to create the highest quality & safest berries possible. We learned that the general public do value that, which was reflected by a demand for trustworthy Australian-grown produce. It helped inform our honest (literally transparent!) packaging too; showcasing our healthy, ripe and lovingly handled berries! We are also HACCP certified.
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points. This is a preventative food safety system in which every step in the manufacture, storage and distribution of a food product is scientifically analysed for microbiological, physical and chemical hazards.

QUALITY MANAGEMENT

We require all of our growers to maintain Freshcare certification to demonstrate an additional layer of quality management. This credible certification is another assurance that their practices are safe and sustainable for us humans and our environment.

TESTING

Freshcare certification requires growers to regularly test and submit results of microbe and chemical residues. At My Berries we also undertake random testing as an added safety precaution. We always have a copy of our growers’ certification on hand to assure ourselves and our customers that our berries are healthy, produced in a way that is friendly to the environment and safe to eat.

More info about Integrated Pest and Disease Management is available courtesy of the Department Of Primary Industry

See more of our FAQ's here.