Industry News
Product launches with GM-free claims increase
While well-known 'free-from' products like gluten-free and lactose-free continue to do well, the entire category has expanded to include broader definitions such as dairy-free, additive-free, preservative-free and even, increasingly, GM-free. [ + ]
Guidance available on country-of-origin claims
New guidance on complying with the Australian Consumer Law when making country-of-origin claims has been published by the ACCC. [ + ]
$3.5m funding to expand fish processing and packaging operations
Huon Aquaculture is set to receive $3.5 million in government funding to expand its Parramatta Creek factory in Tasmania. The expansion is expected to boost employment in the region, creating 90 ongoing jobs and an estimated 100 jobs during construction. [ + ]
Just on the face of it - changing the face in the ad can increase number of potential purchasers
Simply changing the face of a model in an ad can increase the number of potential purchasers by as much as 15% (8% on average). [ + ]
Freedom Foods signs strategic supply agreement with Chinese dairy producer
Pactum Dairy Group has signed a strategic supply agreement with Chinese company Bright Dairy. [ + ]
Australian Made logo attracts Asian shoppers
Australian manufacturers and growers should take advantage of the fact that Asian shoppers look for the Australian Made, Australian Grown logo to identify authentic goods, said Ian Harrison, Australian Made Campaign chief executive. [ + ]
Tassal achieves sustainability certification
Tassal's major salmon farming site, Macquarie Harbour, has been certified to the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) standard by SCS Global Services. [ + ]
Cracking down on counterfeiting with a smartphone
How can you tell if a food product is counterfeit? Soon, if MIT researchers have anything to do with it, you'll be able to use your smartphone. [ + ]
Shelf-Friendly Packaging training courses a success
The 2014 AIP/IGD Shelf-Friendly Packaging training courses, which were held across two states and four Woolworths sites, attracted more than 90 packaging technologists, engineers and designers. [ + ]
Shrinking Chinese households drive demand for convenient packaging
Packaging for Chinese consumers needs to meet the needs of busier, smaller households, Canadean says. The one child policy has seen the average Chinese household shrink to 2.8 people, while the family structure has changed to a new '4-2-1 composition': four grandparents, two parents and one child. [ + ]
Fixing fishy fraud
Deliberate fraud or mislabelling of seafood has become an increasingly important global food security issue, but InstantLabs and the University of Guelph have entered into an agreement to co-develop a portfolio of seafood species identification tests that will provide definitive proof that seafood is correctly labelled within two hours. [ + ]
Dealing with thermoduric microbes in the dairy industry
While pasteurisation may have revolutionised the food industry, certain microbes can survive pasteurisation. Sanjeev Anand, a South Dakota State University dairy science professor, is developing ways to combat these heat-resistant microorganisms. [ + ]
Amcor Flexibles triumphs in two Alufoil Trophy categories
Amcor Flexibles has won the Marketing & Design and Consumer Convenience categories in the Alufoil Trophy 2014. [ + ]
Food safety detective combats food fraud
To combat food fraud, we need to identify which factors play a role in vulnerability of organisations and the food chain, according to Saskia van Ruth, the newly appointed Professor of Food Authenticity and Integrity at Wageningen University. [ + ]
GM food found to be biochemically the same as non-GM food
A new study into the make-up of GM foods could allay consumers' fears about the products, researchers say. Cornell University researchers found that the metabolic profile of GM tomatoes was the same as their non-GM counterparts. [ + ]