CSIRO researchers have located the gene that controls the colour of apples – a discovery that may lead to bright new apple varieties. [ + ]

Entries are now being accepted for Innovic’s Next Big Thing Award 2007. [ + ]

Safety In Action will celebrate its tenth anniversary in 2007, with organisers of the workplace safety exhibition planning two new feature areas to keep visitors up to date. [ + ]

Givaudan has signed an agreement with UK-based Imperial Chemical Industries PLC to acquire its fragrance and flavour business, Quest International. [ + ]

Colin Hughes, the chief executive of Snow Confectionery, has received the 2006 Alfred Stauder Award for Excellence. [ + ]

The Australian Beverages Council has welcomed the decision by Treasurer Peter Costello to remove the ‘sugar levy’ of 3¢ a kilo imposed on sugar users since 2003. [ + ]

PFD Food Services has been awarded 2006 Multi-site Low Risk Company of the Year. The award was presented at the Australian HACCP Conference Dinner held at Melbourne’s Park Hyatt Hotel. [ + ]

The ninth meeting of the Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council was held in Sydney and chaired by Christopher Pyne, parliamentary secretary to the Australian Government Minister for Health and Ageing. [ + ]

The Productivity Commission’s report into Standards Australia makes a series of demanding recommendations whilst acknowledging that Standards Australia had “embarked on a significant plan to address key issues of concernâ€, according to John Tucker, CEO of Standards Australia. [ + ]

Australian aluminium food tray makers, Confoil and Kingfoil have joined forces to head off cheap imports. [ + ]

Visy has entered into an official licensing and technology agreement with Graham Packaging Company.The broad-based licence and technology agreement will provide Visy with access to Graham Packaging’s plastics packaging technology, design and manufacture. [ + ]

The first Powder Handling Seminar, to be run by PowderHandling.com.au, will be held in Sydney on 28 February 2007. [ + ]

CSIRO, through the Food Futures Flagship, Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) have announced a partnership to accelerate the development of super-healthy wheat varieties. [ + ]

The Food Solutions Expo provides practical solutions for the food research, machinery, packaging, cold chain, temperature, water and labelling problems faced every day by food processing companies. [ + ]

International and Australian experts in food processing and cold storage technologies will address the Food Solutions Expo 2006 conference at Food Science Australia's facilities in Melbourne on 16 November. [ + ]