Chinese company to build noodle factory in Australia

Australia's safe food reputation has attracted a Chinese company to build a flour mill near Perth to make noodles for children, the West Australian newspaper reported Friday.

The West Australian (WA) Government said the 45 million Australian dollars (42 million U.S. dollars) noodle making complex is part of a wave of Chinese investment in agriculture worth billions of dollars.

WA Regional Development Minister Terry Redman met company representatives during high-level talks in China over the past few days that included government officials and State-owned enterprises.

Redman said the unnamed company was a big grain processor in southern China with a wide distribution network.

"The company tells us that the premium they will get from the food safety of the supply chain is sufficient to make the numbers work," he said. The company wants to market a specialised noodle product for children trading off the integrity of WA's food supply chains.