A dairy company was convicted and fined $35,000 following an incident in which a worker had a finger severed in a cheese shredding machine. [ + ]

Children with autism have been found to have elevated antibodies to wheat gluten proteins compared to those without autism. However, the researchers did not find any connection between the elevated antibodies and coeliac disease. [ + ]

An Ulladulla man has been fined for threatening a NSW Food Authority officer who was conducting an inspection of a food business selling seafood from a fishing vessel. [ + ]

You’d be amazed what plants get up to at night. US researchers have found that by manipulating the circadian clocks of fruits and vegetables, they were able to improve the amount of antioxidants they contain. [ + ]

The wine industry has introduced a Bill into parliament that seeks to establish the Australian Grape and Wine Authority through the merger of the Wine Australia Corporation and Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation. [ + ]

A new publication designed to encourage businesses to promote the benefits of science and innovation has been published. Inspiring industry to inspire Australia aims to improve the way Australians perceive and value science. [ + ]

Anglomoil’s Synthetic Food Grade (SFG) lubricant range has been awarded ISO 21469 certification by NSF International. [ + ]

Cost-effective strategies for control of produce contamination may become realities now that researchers have identified a variety of factors that influence the likelihood of E. coli contamination of spinach on farms prior to harvest. [ + ]

Fonterra has announced a further $30 million investment to expand its dry distribution centre at its Whareroa site in Taranaki. [ + ]

Online retailing will comprise 20% of the non-food market in Australia in five years, retail expert Stephen Kulmar predicts. The Australian retail market should expect a major shake-up, Kulmar said. [ + ]

A new process for making a 3D microstructure that can be used to analyse cells could be useful in counterterrorism measures and water and food safety concerns. [ + ]

Although bread in Australia is fortified with iodised salt, this alone does not supply pregnant women with sufficient iodine to ensure a healthy foetus, researchers from the University of Adelaide claim. [ + ]

Pro-Pac Packaging has announced it will purchase the business and assets of Eco Food Pack Australia, a Sydney-based company that develops and sells food packaging trays for the fresh meat, seafood and poultry industries. [ + ]

The inaugural Global Summit on the Health Effects of Yogurt brought together international nutrition experts, who presented the current state of the science on the health effects of yoghurt and identified research gaps that need to be addressed. [ + ]

Syngenta scientist Dr Mary-Dell Chilton has been named a laureate of the 2013 World Food Prize, which recognises individuals who have enhanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world. [ + ]