PM opens health food facility

Never mind a direct line to Barack Obama, Prime Minister John Key may just have the ear of a higher being.

Basking in reports of his strong relationship with the US president, the PM officially opened a $12 million facility for health food company LHF in Auckland today, saying he could get a little a help from "upstairs''.

This afternoon's spectacular sunshine was not due to the first day of spring, h said, but a 'good weather law' passed in parliament last week.

He then told staff - there are nearly 80 at LHF - he could help them out for weddings and the like. ``Just let me know when, and I'll put in a call,'' he said.

The heavenly allusion was well-placed. LHF is owned by the New Zealand Conference Association - a charitable trust formed by the Seventh-day Adventist Church more than 100 years ago, but better known by its trading name, Sanitarium Health Food Company.

LHF has spent two years working on the new purpose-built premises in Avondale which brings together the companies growing number of brands - Lisa's, Naked Organics, Naken Locals, Bean Surpreme, Olive Grove, Kato and Sahara. They are all plant-based, non-GE and generally locally-sourced.

Pierre van Heerden, general manager at Sanitarium and LHF's chairman, said the new premises meant they were not now working from five different sites.

"When Sanitarium decided to enter this business eight years ago [by purchasing Lisa's Healthy Foods], we decided not to integrate it [into Sanitarium] but keep it as a separate entity to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation,'' he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News