GS1 Australia has launched the GS1 Institute, which will consolidate the organisation’s 35 years of experience in administering the GS1 System of barcoding and numbering into a program of specialised education and training curriculums. [ + ]

Uncle Tobys has increased its monthly donation to hunger relief charity Foodbank Australia. The company has pledged to supply an extra 9600 packets of Vita Brits each month - an annual contribution of 3,456,000 serves of cereal. [ + ]

Today, the Australian Institute of Packaging celebrates a significant milestone: its 50th anniversary. [ + ]

If Bega Cheese succeeds with its $319 million offer for Warrnambool Cheese and Butter, the merged company will be one of Australia’s largest listed food companies. [ + ]

This year's walnut crop will be slightly early, but will be of high quality, the Californian walnut industry says. The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service California Field Office has predicted the annual yield will be 495,000 short tons. [ + ]

The Australian Logistics Council has listed five infrastructure projects it wants the Coalition government to deliver on, in order to improve productivity and efficiency in the freight logistics industry. [ + ]

The past five years have seen vegetable exports to China and Korea double to $2 million and $5 million respectively, highlighting the growth opportunities for Australian vegetables in the region, AUSVEG says. [ + ]

While many of us see coffee as the fuel that gets us going for the day, scientists are working on literally using coffee as fuel to power cars, furnaces and other energy sources. [ + ]

Dr Thomas Collins discussed his research into the chemical profiles of American whiskeys at the 246th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society. [ + ]

The NZ Ministry for Primary Industries has targeted sulfite use in raw meat, with MPI Food Act Officers visiting Auckland butchers and supermarkets to collect raw meat samples for analysis. [ + ]

The still wine market in India looks set to outstrip the spirits market, with Canadean predicting it will lead growth in the Indian wine industry at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 26.2% by value up to 2017. [ + ]

Australian premium tea business T2 has been acquired by Unilever for an undisclosed amount. T2 operates 40 stores throughout the country, with 2012-13 financial year sales in the vicinity of $57 million. [ + ]

Food industry engineering firm Wiley had a busy Friday night, winning awards from two different industry bodies in two separate cities for its work. [ + ]

Tetra Pak has acquired Danish membrane filtration company DSS Silkeborg A/S, expanding its range of dairy processing solutions. [ + ]

Nestlé has signed a pledge to provide access to safe water and sanitation, as well as appropriate facilities to ensure personal hygiene, to all employees in all premises within three years. [ + ]