Roma Food Products

What Roma Food Products does

Roma Food Products is a privately held, family-owned Australian food manufacturer headquartered in Carrum Downs, Victoria. Founded in 1953 and acquired by the Buontempo family in 1984, the company specializes in gluten-free and allergen-free products and self-identifies as Australia's largest manufacturer in this category and one of the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. Its product portfolio spans five company-owned brands — Orgran, Buontempo, Spliits, Pasta Roma, and Freemills — across baking, biscuits, breakfast, snacking, pasta, and dessert categories. All products are manufactured in a dedicated allergen-free facility free of seven major allergens, with no animal derivatives.

The company's core technology is physical manufacturing rather than software: vertically integrated operations spanning from grain milling through blending, production, and packaging, supported by seven production lines and a 600+ panel solar installation. Pasta Roma products use traditional bronze-die extrusion with Australian rice and sun-ripened corn. Manufacturing is augmented by co-development partnerships — Disegno for brand and pack design, RollsPack for flexible packaging — and a long-standing GTM partnership with Austrade for international market development.

Roma Food Products generates revenue through three streams: branded product sales via its own portfolio, B2B contract manufacturing for other major brands, and export sales to over 70 markets worldwide. Distribution reaches 3,000+ Australian customers through major retailers (Coles, Woolworths, Aldi) and independent supermarkets, and internationally through distributor partners including Cencosud in Latin America. Customer segments center on consumers with allergies and dietary restrictions, health-conscious mainstream consumers, and plant-based/vegan buyers. The company has no public funding, no venture capital, and remains under Buontempo family ownership.

Name

Roma Food Products

Legal name

Roma Food Products

Website

https://romafoods.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Roma Food Products is Australia's largest gluten and allergen-free food manufacturer, producing five company-owned brands (Orgran, Buontempo, Spliits, Pasta Roma, Freemills) across pasta, snacks, baking, and desserts. It serves 3,000+ Australian customers and exports to 70+ markets worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Allergen-Free Food Manufacturing

NAICS

Cookie, Cracker, and Pasta Manufacturing (31182), Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing (311821), Dry Pasta, Dough, and Flour Mixes Manufacturing from Purchased Flour (311824), Food Manufacturing (311), Other Snack Food Manufacturing (311919)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Bakery Products (2050), Cookies & Crackers (2052)

akta.pro primary industry

Gluten-Free & Specialty Grain-Based Foods Manufacturing (GF pasta/cereals, ancient grains) (AFAKABAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pasta Manufacturing (dry, fresh, filled) (AFAKABAB), Gluten-Free & Allergen-Friendly Bakery Wholesale (AFAIAFAF)

Keywords

• Allergen-free food manufacturing
• Gluten-free pasta products
• Plant-based snacks
• Free-from baked goods
• Contract food manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Carrum Downs

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Company-Owned Brand Sales: Roma Foods generates revenue through its portfolio of company-owned brands: Orgran, Buontempo, Spliits, Pasta Roma, and Freemills, sold through retail and export channels.
2. B2B Manufacturing: Supply of finished products and ingredients for other major brands, providing contract manufacturing services to the food industry.
3. Export Sales: International sales through distributor partners and key customers, exporting to over 70 markets worldwide including Chile, New Zealand, UK, Asia, and Europe.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Roma Food Products manufactures and sells gluten-free and allergen-free food products across baking, biscuits, breakfast, snacking, pasta, and dessert categories under its company-owned brands (Orgran, Buontempo, Spliits, Pasta Roma, Freemills). Operations are vertically integrated, with a dedicated allergen-free facility in Victoria, Australia producing for both retail consumer brands and B2B contract manufacturing supply.

Product overview

Roma Food Products is Australia's largest gluten and allergen free manufacturer, operating as a multi-category food manufacturer with vertically-integrated in-house product development and manufacturing capabilities. The company produces a portfolio of company-owned brands spanning baking, biscuits, breakfast, snacking, pasta, and dessert categories. The core brands include Orgran (the flagship 'Free from' brand since 1984), Buontempo (gluten-free pasta), Spliits (plant-based vegetable crispbreads), Pasta Roma (premium gluten-free pasta made with rice and corn), and Freemills (gluten-free flour substitute). Products are distributed to 3,000 local customers and exported to over 70 markets worldwide, with strong retail presence across Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, and independent supermarkets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Orgran: Trusted name in 'Free from' food since 1984, Australia’s favourite gluten free brand
• Buontempo
• Spliits
• Pasta Roma
• Freemills

Products and services

• Orgran Trusted 'Free from' brand since 1984 providing gluten-free and allergen-free food products for Australian families, distributed across major retailers and export markets.
• Buontempo Gluten-free pasta brand offering a range of pasta products marketed and sold through Australian supermarkets and international export markets.
• Spliits Plant-based vegan crispbread made from vegetables with no added sugars, gluten-free, sold as a snack or easy meal option through retailers.
• Pasta Roma Alternative pasta made in small batches from Australian rice and sun-ripened corn using traditional bronze-die extrusion; 350g range includes Rigatoni, Spirals, Penne, and Macaroni variants.
• Freemills Gluten-free flour alternative made with simple ingredients, performing cup-for-cup like regular flour with a clean, authentic taste.
• B2B Contract Manufacturing (finished products and ingredients) Supply of finished products and ingredients for other major brands, providing contract manufacturing services to the food industry leveraging the company's certified allergen-free capacity.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20%+ revenue growth during COVID-19 pandemic
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• DisegnomajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Melbourne-based design studio engaged for brand and pack design of Pasta Roma brand. Created the brand identity, packaging design with vibrant orange colour distinctive in the category, and Italian-inspired lifestyle imagery for authentic brand storytelling.
• FoodbankminorOthers · 1 January 2022Roma Foods partners with Foodbank Victoria to support food relief and community programs.
• AustradecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2015Australian Trade and Investment Commission connected Roma Foods to Cencosud during a trade mission to Australia. Austrade provides market insights, competitor analysis, and business development support. Roma Foods speaks with Austrade 2-3 times per month for market strategy and understanding opportunities in priority markets.
• CencosudcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2015Latin America's largest multi-brand retail conglomerate operating in Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Peru, and Colombia. Owns 915 supermarkets, 49 department stores, and 67 shopping centres. Selected Roma Foods as one of 12 brands to import after trade mission meeting. Features Roma products on website banners free of charge and displays products in prominent store locations with dedicated display stands.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Sanitarium: Australian plant-based food manufacturer (Weet-Bix, So Good, plant proteins). Shares Australian retail distribution and plant-based consumer segments with Roma, though not specifically focused on allergen-free.
• Carman's Kitchen: Australian muesli, oats, and better-for-you snack brand. Comparable Australian better-for-you positioning, retail distribution through Coles and Woolworths, and plant-based trend alignment, though focused on breakfast/snacking rather than pasta.

Direct peers

• Tinkyáda: Canadian specialist in gluten-free pasta using rice and other alternative grains. Direct product overlap with Roma's Pasta Roma and Buontempo pasta lines, addressing the same rice-based, allergen-friendly pasta niche.
• Glutino: Dedicated gluten-free snacks, baking, and pantry brand with comparable product mix and shelf placement in mainstream grocery. Smaller scale than Roma but directly overlapping on gluten-free snacking and baking categories.
• Enjoy Life Foods: North American allergen-free (top-8 free) snack and baking brand. Highly comparable to Roma's Spliits and Orgran positioning in addressing the same consumer pain points around safe allergen-free foods.
• Bob's Red Mill: US-based vertically integrated gluten-free flour, baking, and grain products manufacturer. Closely matches Roma's Freemills flour proposition and gluten-free milling-to-packaging value chain, with comparable brand-led retail distribution.
• Nature's Path: North American organic and gluten-free cereals, snacks, and baking brand. Comparable product breadth across gluten-free breakfast, baking, and snacking categories and similar brand-led retail distribution model.
• Dr. Schär: European gluten-free foods specialist and one of the largest dedicated gluten-free manufacturers globally. Directly comparable in dedicated allergen-free manufacturing scale, bread/pasta/snack portfolio breadth, and multi-country retail distribution.
• Freedom Foods Group: Australian food manufacturer with a comparable portfolio across allergen-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, and plant-based categories. Directly competes with Roma in Australian retail and is the most geographically and product-overlap-comparable peer for the anchor's domestic position.

Broad incumbents

• Annie's Homegrown (General Mills): General Mills-owned better-for-you pasta and snacks brand with gluten-free extensions. Represents the broad incumbent threat: a scaled CPG competitor with deeper marketing budgets and existing retailer relationships leveraging gluten-free as an extension line.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/roma-food-products

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Roma Food Products