Kagome Australia Begins Supplying Tomato Seed Oil to Cosmetics Industry

THE WHAT? Kagome Australia has started supplying cold-pressed tomato seed oil to the cosmetics industry, marking a new use for by-products from its tomato processing operations.

THE DETAILS Australia’s largest tomato processor, Kagome, based in Echuca, Victoria, is now producing tomato seed oil for use in cosmetic products such as moisturisers, facial scrubs, and sunscreen. The oil is extracted from tomato seeds left over from the company’s large-scale processing operations, which handle over 200,000 tonnes of tomatoes each season. Kagome has introduced powder drying and cold-pressing systems to recover more from its by-product stream, including plans to convert all tomato waste by 2027. The company is also producing tomato skin powder for use in pet food.

THE WHY? The move comes amid a downturn in Australia’s processed tomato industry, which is struggling to compete with cheaper imports. According to the Australian Processing Tomato Research Council, just 20–30% of processed tomato products sold in the country are made locally, down from around 50% two decades ago. The number of active growers has also declined. Kagome’s expansion into cosmetics reflects an effort to find new uses for materials that were previously discarded or sent to livestock feed.

Source: ABC News 

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