Industry News
Life Technologies product gains Australian Government approval
The Department of Agriculture has officially approved Life Technologies' MicroSEQ Real-Time PCR workflow as an Approved Test Method to detect pathogens in export meat and meat products. [ + ]
NZ$45m dairy distribution centre for Brazil
Fonterra and Nestlé have opened a NZ$45 million dairy distribution centre in Brazil through joint venture Dairy Partners Americas (DPA). [ + ]
Consumers' lack of animal welfare knowledge hampers free-range sales
While consumers say they'll purchase free-range meat and non-cage laid eggs, their knowledge of modern animal production is too vague to translate to spending extra on these products at the supermarket, according to new research from CQUniversity. [ + ]
Natural red is the most challenging colour
Increasingly, manufacturers are turning to natural sources for food and beverage colouring. Of these colours, red is the most challenging, a recent poll has shown. [ + ]
Submissions invited on GM soybean-derived food
Submissions are invited on an application to change the Food Standards Code to allow food derived from canola which has been genetically modified for tolerance to glyphosate herbicides. [ + ]
Why you shouldn't call your product 'natural'
If you want your product to be successful, don’t refer to it as 'natural'. This is the advice of food specialist Julian Mellentin, author of 12 Key Trends 2014, which is published by New Nutrition Business. [ + ]
SCLAA awards Certified Professional Logistician qualification
Matthew Guthrie, a procurement officer with Queensland Health, has been recognised and awarded the Certified Professional Logistician (CPL) qualification by the Supply Chain and Logistics Association of Australia (SCLAA). [ + ]
Most vegetables don't make the cut under Health Star rating system
The Health Star rating system fails on one significant count, according to AUSVEG: almost no fresh vegetables qualify for the five-star rating, despite their being minimally processed and beneficial to good health. [ + ]
Krones acquires German process technology company
Krones has acquired process technology company HST Maschinenbau GmbH. Located in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the company designs and manufactures homogenisers and reciprocating pumps for the food and beverage industries. [ + ]
Lightweight packaging to take off, despite challenges
Rigid plastic and flexible packs are poised to take off in the US, with demand expected to increase by 32.85 billion packs between now and 2017, according to a new report from Canadean. [ + ]
Inaugural AFS - SAI Global scholarship winner announced
Advancing Food Safety (AFS) - SAI Global has announced the winner of its inaugural scholarship program: Emma McPherson, a laboratory technician at Lion Dairy and Drinks. [ + ]
ACCC cracks down on 'free-range' egg producers
The ACCC is taking two egg producers to court after alleging that their use of the term 'free range' to describe their products misleads consumers. [ + ]
Gut microbes key to foodborne pathogen infection
Whether or not you succumb to infection by Listeria could come down to what’s in your gut. New research shows that germ-free mice are more susceptible to infection from the foodborne pathogen than mice with conventional intestinal microbiota. [ + ]
Fonterra to open $235m milk powder plant
The Fonterra Board has approved a $235 million high-efficiency milk powder plant, which will enable the co-operative to process an additional 2.4 million litres of milk each day. The plant will be built at Fonterra's Pahiatua site in New Zealand. [ + ]
National free-range egg standard needed: NSW Fair Trading
Following a three-month investigation in response to Choice's super-complaint on the issue, NSW Fair Trading has recommended that a national standard for free-range eggs be developed under Australian Consumer Law. [ + ]