Industry News
AIP National Conference program announced
The full program for the 2014 Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) National Conference is now available. The conference, to be held on 17 and 18 June at the Sofitel Wentworth, has the theme of Packaging and Innovation Excellence. [ + ]
Red tape continues to choke Australian business, says ACCI
The red tape choking Australian business is getting worse, according to the ACCI's 2013 National Red Tape Survey. Around 70% of businesses surveyed said regulatory burdens have increased in the past 12 months. [ + ]
Value-added food processing is future growth hotspot, says Deloitte
Deloitte has identified value-added food processing as one of the 25 growth hotspots to watch in the next 20 years. The firm says food processing offers huge potential for the economy. [ + ]
Getting down to fizziness: baby boomers choose tonic water over cola
While sales of soft drinks like colas and lemonades have taken a nose dive in the last five years, another type of soft drink has quietly been gaining ground, new research from Roy Morgan shows. [ + ]
TGA issues summary of amendments to Therapeutic Goods Act 1989
A number of amendments to the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 came into effect on 28 February 2014. The Therapeutic Goods Administration has issued a summary of the 13 main sets of amendments. [ + ]
Bosch Packaging Technology cracks €1bn mark
Bosch Packaging Technology has announced it broke the €1 billion sales mark for the first time. The company increased its sales in fiscal 2013 from €914 million to €1.1 billion, a rise of 22%. [ + ]
Queensland company fined for breaching import requirements
A Queensland food importer has been fined for failing to undertake required testing. B&E Packaging imported 1500 kg of cooked and peeled prawns from Vietnam but released the prawns before the correct inspection, testing and authorisation process was conducted. [ + ]
Senate Inquiry examines procurement of Australian products
AUSVEG has been called to appear before a Senate Inquiry on Australian Government Procurement. The organisation has been asked to submit a series of recommendations on how to improve the government's procurement practices. [ + ]
GS1 Australia and 1WorldSync sign multiyear contract
GS1 Australia has entered into a multiyear agreement with 1WorldSync. The agreement will reportedly provide GS1's supplier and data recipient user bases with a 'next generation' platform for the enhanced delivery of the GS1net Australasia data pool. [ + ]
Nut snacks boom in Europe - but less so in US and UK
Nuts and seeds accounted for more than 37% of snack food launches in 2013, with savoury or salty snacks taking the remainder, new data from Innova Market Insights shows. However, the popularity of nuts varies markedly from country to country. [ + ]
AFGC welcomes cuts to excessive red tape
AFGC has welcomed the introduction of the Omnibus Repeal Day (Autumn 2014) Bill into parliament, claiming it marks the start of the government's regulatory reform that will reduce the regulatory burden on businesses. [ + ]
Engineering conference discount closes Friday
Australia's new automation, control and instrumentation conference, ACI Connect, to be held on 9 and 10 April, has attracted a high-quality list of speakers and trainers. The 25% early-bird conference discount closes this coming Friday 21 March. [ + ]
First inSight-branded product launches in China
Tenda Nutritional Foods has become the first company to launch an infant formula bearing the inSight brand in the Chinese market. [ + ]
China-New Zealand Dairy Exchange Centre launched
A joint initiative of Fonterra and China's National Dairy Industry and Technology System, the China-New Zealand Dairy Exchange Centre aims to support the sustainable development of the dairy industry in both countries. [ + ]
SIG Combibloc wins iF Design Award for combidome
The Industrie Forum Design eV (iF) has presented SIG Combibloc with an iF Design Award for its combidome product. The combidome carton pack combines features of a carton pack and a bottle. [ + ]