19 October 2006
Media Release
Heart Foundation Tick Products Clean-Up Massey Food Awards
Many food manufacturers are making healthier food alternatives a top priority within new product development and are
experiencing commercial success as result.
Two Heart Foundation Tick products took seven of the 19 awards at the prestigious 2006 Massey Food Awards this week.
Keen to encourage innovation in healthier food production, the Heart Foundation has sponsored a special Tick Nutrition
Award for the last 10 years, attracting many innovative, healthier choice new products. To be eligible to enter the
Award the product must meet the Tick’s tough nutrition standards for its food category
This year the Tick award was won by Nelson company, Tasman Bay Food Group, for Hot Bites Murphies, a break-through low
fat pie for school canteens. This product also won the Bakery Products Award, the Food Service Award and the Enterprise
Award for Small Business.
Hot Bite Murphies have achieved a remarkably low fat content of just 3.6g compared with a normal mince pie that can have
up to 20g, an impressive fat reduction of over 80 per cent.
“As a food manufacturer selling to school canteens we need to be developing healthier options. To keep kids happy we
have to work hard to make our products tasty, affordable, innovative and appealing,” said Marina Hirst-Tristram,
Marketing Manager for Tasman Bay.
Hot Bite Murphies was developed in response to New Zealand’s growing obesity problem among children and is sold as a
healthier alternative to pies in New Zealand and Australian schools. Murphies are made from lean mince encased in bread
(instead of pastry) and topped with a swirl of potato and cheese.
Tick Programme Manager, Ian Mathieson, is delighted to see Tick products receiving kudos for innovation.
“We work very closely with the food industry to improve the New Zealand food supply and to make our food choices
healthier. It is great to see food manufacturers including healthier products in their new product development and
seeing these products achieve success in the market place,” he said.
The overall winner of the Massey Food Awards was another exciting new Tick product, Sealord Simply Natural Tender
Calamari Rings. It won top honours, taking home the Premier Award for the most outstanding new or improved product, the
Meat, Seafood and Poultry Award, and the Export Award.
"We wanted to create a seafood meal that people could be confident they could prepare because it is quick and easy but
also healthy and tasty. Ninety seven per cent fat-free and a good source of Omega 3, the calamari comes with a
ready-made sauce. The calamari is easily cooked in minutes in the pan or on the barbeque and is finished by drizzling
with the delicious sauce."
"Because of its healthy convenience and the Heart Foundation Tick we are experiencing impressive sales for such a new
seafood product," said David Welsh, Marketing Manager for Sealord.
To join the Tick Programme, food products must be independently tested to show that they meet the Tick’s tough nutrition
standards for that food category. Tick products include everyday foods and foods that should be limited in your diet.
From bread, milk and lean meat to ice cream, the Tick is your guide to a healthier choice in each food category.
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For more information contact:
Kathryn Swallow
Communications Manager
Heart Foundation Tick Programme
Phone (09) 571 9191 (ext 776)
Mobile 027 284 0665
Email kathryns@nhf.org.nz
www.pickthetick.org.nz
Editors note:
About the Tick Programme
The Tick Programme is run by the Heart Foundation, a scientifically based, not for profit organisation.
Products carrying the Heart Foundation Tick logo signpost a healthier product in that food category (for example, bread
with the Tick is a healthier choice of bread, breakfast cereal with the Tick is a healthier choice of breakfast cereal).
The Heart Foundation uses a panel of experts to establish nutrition standards in 55 different food categories and the
nutrition standards are tailored to each category.
In general, the Tick nutrition standards aim to reduce levels of saturated fat, trans fat and salt. They also aim to
increase fibre levels in some foods and reduce kilojoules in foods like cereal bars and flavoured milks.
Foods that meet the Heart Foundation Tick nutrition standards can be licensed to join the Tick Programme. Each product
that applies for the Tick is tested in an independent laboratory to prove it meets the standards.
Food manufacturers must meet the Heart Foundation Tick nutrition standards to get the Tick. Random testing on Tick
products is regularly carried out by the Heart Foundation to ensure products always comply with the standards.
Food manufacturers are charged a licence fee based on the annual sales of their Tick approved products. Tick licence
fees pay for the administration and management of the Tick Programme and also pay for random testing of Tick approved
foods and the ongoing research required to develop the nutrition standards.
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