In 2007, metal closures held 51% of the market; in 2013, metal closures held 48% of the market, with plastic closures holding 49%, a new report from Canadean shows. [ + ]

A 'traffic light' labelling system used in a US hospital cafeteria has resulted in positive changes up to two years after it was first implemented. [ + ]

The comment period for the FDA's determination that artificial trans fats in processed foods are not generally recognised as safe (GRAS) has been extended by 60 days to 8 March 2014. [ + ]

University of Adelaide PhD student Dr Tonghzhi Wu has found that the gut's response to artificially sweetened drinks is neutral - it is no different to drinking a glass of water. [ + ]

The largest US food processors could be obliged to take action to prevent large-scale food adulteration under the new food defence rule proposed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). [ + ]

Children whose mothers eat more peanuts or tree nuts (P/TN) during pregnancy are less likely to develop P/TN allergies themselves, researchers have found. [ + ]

PureCircle's Rebaudioside M (Reb M) has been classified as GRAS (Generally Recognised as Safe) by the FDA. The FDA has issued a No Objection letter for the use of Reb M as a general sweetener for foods and beverages in the United States. [ + ]

Using low-calorie sugars as a structuring agent, researchers from The City College of New York have reported the successful transformation of vegetable oils to a semi-solid form, offering a potential alternative to trans fats. [ + ]

The Electrical Trades Union has slammed an opinion piece in The Australian which accuses SPC Ardmona workers of being overpaid and undercommitted to helping the company through its struggles. [ + ]

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. [ + ]

Australian-made Prosecco will continue to be marketed and sold under the name Prosecco, after the Registrar of Trademarks upheld an objection to an application seeking to register the Italian geographical indication (GI) Prosecco as a GI in Australia. [ + ]

Fonterra and Nestlé have opened a NZ$45 million dairy distribution centre in Brazil through joint venture Dairy Partners Americas (DPA). [ + ]

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. [ + ]

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 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. [ + ]