The Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) is re-designing its website, taking the association into the world of email, online newsletters, up-to-date-news, events, technical papers and more. The AIP website will be the main communication tool from 2005 to members, supporters and industry and van be visited at www.aipack.com.au

Sherwood Technology has announced its collaboration with Domino to supply DataLase. The companies have recently signed a supply licence agreement. The agreement will enable Domino to supply a total coding and printing solution to a number of sectors worldwide, including pharmaceutical, food and beverage and product security.

VeriSign and EAN, an international standards organisation for supply chain systems,have announced an alliance to launch the EPCglobal Network in Australia.

Australian chemicals and consumer products group Orica has announced the expansion of its Chemnet specialty distribution business through the acquisition of Keith Harris Flavours and Fragrances from KH Foods Limited.

Does Swiss cheese come from Swiss cows? How about blue cheese? Professor of animal science at McGill University's Macdonald campus KF Ng-Kwai-Hang has the answer to these questions. He has spent the last 25 years studying the genetics of cows and how this affects quality and types of cheese. Basically, cheddar cheese can be made from all milk, but the taste and quality will be different from breed to breed and also within a breed.

Food can only reach households in top quality if stored in the right packaging. Active wrappers protect sensitive products from light, air and mould, and intelligent packaging indicates whether the food is still as fresh as it should be.

Cranberry and oregano extracts combined with lactic acid may inhibit the growth of bacteria in meat and fish say researchers from Massachusetts. Their findings appear in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

Three of Australia's major poultry companies, Inghams, Bartter Steggles and Baiada, have committed to avoid genetically engineered (GE) food and feed, in response to consumer demand. This decision by the companies is claimed to be one of the biggest single shifts away from GE foods since the introduction of GE labelling laws in 2001 and welcomed by consumer groups.

Ungerer Australia's flavour manufacturing facility, located at 2/7 Adventure Place, Taren Point, has achieved HACCP Accreditation.

Processing equipment has always had an unofficial acceptance at AUSPACK and as increasingly more the packaging and processing line meet, AUSPACK will provide a one-stop-shop answer for the manufacturing industry.

From salting and drying to pickling and irradiating, humans have devised many ingenious ways of preserving their food from spoilage by microbes.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to share information about food safety emergency issues that may pose a serious or unacceptable risk or threat to the health of consumers.

Open up a punnet of strawberries and more often than not you'll find a fuzzy berry or two in the mix.

Industry Capability Network (Vic) has appointed Louis Ziras to spearhead its 'Buy Local' campaign throughout Victoria. The campaign is targeting the food industry among others, and particularly those companies with a turnover exceeding $20 million.

New online courses offered by TAFE will promote the latest best practice in food handling.