Eskimos, Jet Planes and Moro bars join lolly exodus

AUSTRALIA WILL soon be able to lay claim to more Kiwi icons as New Zealand's biggest sweet-maker shifts production of Moro bars, Eskimo lollies and Jet Planes across the Tasman.

Cadbury confirmed yesterday that it was making sweeping changes to its manufacturing operations and that many of its iconic products would soon be made overseas. It has already begun manufacturing Minties, Fruit Chews and Milk Shakes from its new factory in Thailand, and last year announced that manufacturing of all of its Dairy Milk chocolate bars was moving to Tasmania.

Managing director Matthew Oldham expected the latest move would upset some Kiwi consumers.

"Moving the production of these products away from New Zealand was a tough decision, and I wish we could continue to make them here. But we had to face economic reality. We can't make them here any more because the equipment is old and we need to specialise so that we keep jobs in Dunedin and ensure our products remain affordable."

Under the plans announced yesterday its Dunedin factory will become a specialist manufacturing facility producing Jaffas, Pineapple Lumps, chocolate fish, Pinky bars, boxed chocolates and chocolate crumb, the base ingredient in Cadbury milk chocolate. The manufacture of all other Cadbury products will be shifted overseas, mainly to Australia and Thailand. Cadbury Creme Eggs, previously made in Dunedin, will be manufactured in the UK.

Oldham said in the early stages of factory changeover consumers might notice a slight taste difference, as occurred when Minties were first produced in Thailand. But Cadbury would work to keep the taste as close to the original as possible.

The decision follows similar moves by Griffin's Foods, which was forced to admit earlier this month that some of its biscuits were being made in Fiji. It only came clean after questions were asked about why the Buy NZ Made logo had disappeared from some packets.

Green Party trade spokesman Keith Locke said the moves by Cadbury and Griffin's showed a worrying trend which suggested the government should be doing more to create an economy that supports domestic manufacturing.

"It's very upsetting, particularly when they are brands New Zealanders have long associated with our country and with being produced in New Zealand."