Wild About Fruit Company

Wild About Fruit Company is an Australian fruit enterprise associated with the Yarra Valley's commercial produce industry. The business is based in Wandin, Victoria, in one of Australia's major fruit-growing regions, and has also operated properties at Coldstream and Bacchus Marsh in Victoria, as well as at Gundagai and Kerang. Its ownership and management have been associated with the third generation of the Mould family, indicating a multigenerational family-farming structure rather than a publicly listed corporate group. The company's agricultural activities have included the cultivation of cherries for both the domestic and export fresh-fruit markets. Material describing the business in 2002 reported that it was growing approximately 40 different cherry varieties. This varietal breadth supported participation in fresh cherry supply across different harvest periods and market requirements, although the available reference material does not provide current production volumes, revenue, employee numbers, or the present status of individual orchards. Beyond fresh fruit, Wild About Fruit worked with Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) on fruit-juice production. The collaboration focused on extraction methods intended to use a larger proportion of the fruit and on the deactivation of enzymes that could otherwise reduce product shelf life. The stated objective was to improve the durability of juice products without relying on preservatives. This work reflects the company's interest in extending the value of orchard output through processing and in presenting fruit-based products as a more sustainable or resource-efficient alternative to strictly fresh-market sales. The business has used several associated brand names, including Wild About Fruit, Wild Child, and Wild about wellbeing. In 2004, products from Wild About Fruit received an endorsement from Planet Ark, an Australian environmental organisation. The available sources do not specify the exact products covered by that endorsement or the commercial terms attached to it. The company or an associated operating entity, Wild Juice Pty Ltd, also faced environmental regulatory action. In September 2005, the Environment Protection Authority Victoria imposed a fine of A$5,113 after determining that the entity had contravened the requirements of a pollution abatement notice. An earlier inspection in May had identified an incomplete connection involving the site's new waste-treatment plant. This documented enforcement event is part of the company's public history, but the available references do not establish the long-term operational or reputational consequences. Current ownership, leadership, product range, facilities, website, financial performance, and operating status are not established by the supplied material. Accordingly, the company should be treated as a historically documented Australian fruit producer and processor whose current status requires verification.

Wild About Fruit Company is documented as a family-operated Australian fruit business located in Wandin, in Victoria's Yarra Valley. The company was associated with the third generation of the Mould family and operated in a region known for commercial horticulture and fruit production. Its wider property network included locations at Coldstream and Bacchus Marsh in Victoria, together with Gundagai and Kerang. The available references do not state the company's founding year, the identity of its original founder, or the precise legal relationship between each property and the operating business. By 2002, the company's agricultural focus included fresh cherries. It was reported to be growing about 40 cherry varieties for Australian domestic sales and export markets. The source does not provide a breakdown of cultivars, orchard acreage, annual tonnage, export destinations, or customer relationships. The reported varietal range nevertheless indicates a diversified cherry-growing operation designed to participate in the fresh-fruit market rather than relying on a single cultivar or harvest window. Wild About Fruit also pursued fruit processing and product development. It worked with CSIRO on juice production, including techniques for extracting a greater proportion of usable material from fruit. The research additionally addressed enzyme deactivation, with the aim of extending shelf life without preservatives. These activities connected the company's orchard operations with value-added manufacturing and sought to reduce the amount of fruit left unused during processing. The references do not identify the precise juice formulations, production volumes, packaging, or commercial launch dates. The company used or was associated with the names Wild About Fruit, Wild Child, and Wild about wellbeing. In 2004, Planet Ark endorsed Wild About Fruit products. The endorsement provides evidence of an environmental or sustainability-related association, but the supplied material does not explain its criteria, duration, or effect on distribution and sales. Environmental compliance became part of the company's documented history in 2005. In May of that year, an EPA Victoria inspection identified an incomplete connection at the site's new waste-treatment plant. In September, EPA Victoria fined Wild Juice Pty Ltd A$5,113 for contravening the requirements of a pollution abatement notice. The source identifies Wild Juice Pty Ltd rather than the brand name directly, so the precise corporate relationship should be verified, although the event is included in accounts of Wild About Fruit Company. No reliable current information is supplied about the company's ownership beyond the historical Mould family association, its present facilities, leadership, product portfolio, website, financial condition, or whether it remains active. The company is therefore best described as a historically documented, family-linked Australian fruit grower and processor, with current-status verification still required.

• 2005

  Environmental compliance action

  [1]Wild About Fruit Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Following an inspection that identified an incomplete waste-treatment-plant connection, EPA Victoria fined associated entity Wild Juice Pty Ltd A$5,113 for breaching a pollution abatement notice.

• 2004

  Products endorsed by Planet Ark

  [1]Wild About Fruit Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Wild About Fruit products received an endorsement from Planet Ark, although the available material does not specify the products or endorsement criteria.

• 2002

  Reported cultivation of approximately 40 cherry varieties

  [1]Wild About Fruit Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Reference material described Wild About Fruit as growing about 40 cherry varieties for Australian domestic and export fresh-fruit markets.

A multigenerational Australian fruit-growing and processing business emphasizing orchard production, cherry varietal diversity, value-added juice, and resource-efficient use of fruit.

• Fresh fruit

  Fresh cherries

  The company's principal documented agricultural output was fresh cherries. Around 2002, it was reported to grow approximately 40 varieties for both the Australian domestic market and export customers. The available sources do not identify the complete cultivar list, annual volume, packaging formats, or current availability.

• Beverages and processed fruit

  Fruit juice

  Wild About Fruit worked with CSIRO on juice production, developing extraction techniques intended to increase the proportion of fruit used and methods for deactivating enzymes that could shorten shelf life. The work aimed to support longer-lasting juice without preservatives. Specific formulations and current commercial status are not documented in the supplied sources.

• 2005

  EPA Victoria fine concerning waste-treatment infrastructure

  EPA Victoria fined Wild Juice Pty Ltd A$5,113 in September 2005 after finding that a connection to the site's new waste-treatment plant was incomplete and that the requirements of a pollution abatement notice had been contravened.

  Source

Read more

• Development of value-added fruit juiceStrategy

  Background

  The company worked with CSIRO to improve juice extraction and address enzyme activity that could reduce shelf life.

  Action taken

  It pursued processing methods intended to use more of each fruit and extend product shelf life without preservatives.

  Aftermath

  The collaboration is documented as part of the company's product-development history, but the sources do not provide subsequent sales, scale, or market-performance data.

  Source

• 2004

  Wild About Fruit products endorsed by Planet Ark[1]Wild About Fruit Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Wild About Fruit products received an endorsement from Planet Ark, an Australian environmental organisation. The available reference does not identify the precise products or scope of the endorsement.

1. 1Wild About Fruit Companyen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Wild about fruitswinburne.edu.au