JBS Australia and Primo have committed to the Foodbank Beef Program, a major new beef initiative that will supply Foodbank with more than 130 tonnes of sausages per year to those in need. [ + ]

Recent calls for soft drink labels to carry warning statements have been criticised by the Australian Beverages Council. Geoff Parker says a recent study linking soft drink consumption with behavioural problems does not prove cause and effect. [ + ]

A US health insurer has come up with a novel way to ensure its members stay healthy: money-back rewards for buying fresh fruits and vegetables. Independent Health members will earn $1 credit for every $2 spent on fresh fruit and vegetables. [ + ]

Fonterra has announced it will temporarily suspend consumer operations in Sri Lanka after accusations of tainted product sparked protests outside its Sri Lanka head office. [ + ]

The NSW Government will support Simplot's struggling Bathurst vegetable processing plant with payroll tax rebates for three years through its NSW Regional Industries Investment Fund. [ + ]

A water pollution incident has cost a Rutherford vegetable oil producer $45,000. Atlantic Pacific Foods was convicted on 15 August and fined $15,000 for the offence and ordered to pay $30,000 in prosecutor and investigation costs. [ + ]

Can omega 3s reduce criminality? A new study aims to investigate this link between biology and behaviour. [ + ]

The Coalition's manufacturing policy is a step towards enhancing Australia's food and grocery manufacturing sector, the AFGC says. [ + ]

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a petition filed by Mars Inc to permit the use of spirulina extract as a colour additive in candy and chewing gum. [ + ]

The US could emerge as a competitor to Australian dairy products in international export markets, according to Tim Hunt, Rabobank’s New York-based global dairy strategist. [ + ]

Consumers are more likely to throw a dented can or cut-up piece of paper in the bin than recycle them, according to a new study published in the Journal of Consumer Research. [ + ]

Reducing the salt, sugar and fat content of foods has long been the focus of research, but all this work counts for nothing if consumers avoid the low-salt/sugar/fat option. In order to reduce the public health burden by designing healthier processed food, scientists need to ensure consumers will actually want to eat it. [ + ]

While some researchers are reporting that babies fed with DHA-enriched formula score higher on intelligence tests, others have found that formula-fed babies may be more susceptible to chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. [ + ]

A simplistic 'fat tax' is not the answer to the looming type 2 diabetes epidemic, the Australian Diabetes Council claims. Dr Alan Barclay says a 'fat tax' was trialled and abandoned in Denmark as it had negative economic consequences. [ + ]

One solution to overeating is foods that alter their structure once ingested, helping you feel full. Chemical engineers have designed a self-structuring gel that can withstand the stomach’s harsh environment to trick the body into thinking it’s full. [ + ]