The Spanish seem to have hit on a way to slow private-label growth: branded manufacturers are adopting aggressive pricing and promotional strategies to stay in the game. [ + ]

The Californian drought has prompted Nestlé to invest heavily in technology to reduce water use in its five water bottling plants and four food and petcare product manufacturing facilities. [ + ]

The Australian Institute of Food Science Technology together with the Australian Food & Grocery Council will hold events in Sydney and Melbourne to provide information about food regulation and compliance. [ + ]

FSANZ is calling for submissions on changes to the Food Standards Code. The changes were gazetted on 10 April 2015 and are set to take effect on 1 March 2016. [ + ]

An interactive portal has been launched that will help Australian growers and manufacturers to access upcoming opportunities, increasing the quota of genuine Australian products and produce being procured. [ + ]

How much do you earn? The Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) wants to know! The packaging industry is invited to participate in the first Packaging & Processing Salary and Education Survey. [ + ]

A successful pilot of SAI Global's latest food safety course will now see the training available for industry professionals throughout Australia.

The Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology (AIFST) is presenting the second session in 'The Food Ingredients Series' that will provide up-to-date and relevant information about the different ingredients used for food production. [ + ]

Pigs will eat just about anything - but there could be something new on the porcine menu after researchers discovered several types of microalgae that grow on piggery effluent and can safely be fed back to the pigs. [ + ]

Self-adhesive label company UPM Raflatac is celebrating its 40th birthday this year. To celebrate, the company is publishing a book, The Story of Raflatac, which will be published in Finnish and English. [ + ]

People who eat different types and brands of a particular food, such as pizza, are more likely to overeat than those who tend to stick to the one brand, researchers from the Universities of Liverpool and Bristol have found.

Heat and Control will present a product showcase at Snackex 2015, the 16th international exhibition and conference for savoury snacks and nuts, which will be held in Istanbul 10-11 June. [ + ]

There can be no food without water - and, now more than ever, it's vital that major food companies use water sustainably, according to a report from Ceres, a non-profit sustainability advocacy group. [ + ]

Matthews Australasia has been appointed as the Australian agent for Compact Labelling Systems. The company introduced the Compact range at AUSPACK 2015. [ + ]

The VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has developed a sensor that detects ethanol in food packaging headspace and is now searching for a partner in order to commercialise the sensor.