Endocrinologists from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research have applauded a study that shows a direct correlation between consumption of sugary soft drinks, obesity and genetic predisposition to weight gain. [ + ]

The Rethink Sugary Drinks campaign is “misguided”, the Australian Beverages Council has said. Launched on 17 January, the campaign aims to tackle soft drink overconsumption in Australia. [ + ]

Following the release of a report that shows half of the world’s food is wasted, LINPAC Packaging’s Alan Davey said that retailers, food manufacturers and the packaging industry should work together to tackle the problem. [ + ]

Standards for stevia sweeteners, caffeine and krill oil are among the latest proposed revisions for the Food Chemicals Codex. The USP is inviting comments on the proposals. [ + ]

Henkel and DaniMer Scientific have formed an alliance to develop bio-based hotmelt adhesives for the consumer packaging market. [ + ]

Gloucester Royal Hospital employees have found a correlation between milk consumption and Nobel prizes per capita that they think could explain the strong association between chocolate and Nobel prizes that was published in the NEJM. [ + ]

Scientists from UQ and DAFF have developed new technology that enables DNA amplification on ‘microspheres’ to rapidly detect and identify large numbers of different bacteria at the same time. [ + ]

The Monell Center has received $1 million from food chemistry consultant Louise Slade to support the institute’s research program on the mechanism of human salt detection and perception. [ + ]

European food and beverage hygiene company Calvatis is launching its Calgonit brand in Australia, and has ambitious plans to “shake up” the industry with breakthroughs in food hygiene technology and competitive pricing. [ + ]

The US Food and Drug Administration has proposed two new food safety rules aimed at preventing foodborne illness that could impact food producers exporting to the US. [ + ]

Even if we stopped putting plastic into our oceans today, giant garbage patches would continue to grow for hundreds of years. Recent ARC research examined how giant ocean garbage patches form as a result of ocean currents. [ + ]

The Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) has developed an information page for winemakers and grapegrowers that gives advice on how to deal with recent hot weather conditions and the potential for smoke taint. [ + ]

The Australian Packaging Covenant has announced joint funding of a state-of-the-art plastic recycling facility to be built this year in Queensland. [ + ]

The number of ecolabels in the food industry will continue to increase in 2013, but the mushrooming number of ecolabels could have adverse implications, according to Organic Monitor. [ + ]

While soy milk continues to dominate the dairy alternative drinks sector, interest has been rising in other alternatives, according to Innova Market Insights. [ + ]