FSANZ is calling for submissions on a proposal to clarify the permissions in the Food Standards Code on the use of carbon monoxide (CO) in fish processing. CO is used to treat the dark muscle tissue of fish such as tuna to turn the flesh bright cherry red. This can make the fish look fresher than it actually is. [ + ]

FSANZ is calling for submissions on an application seeking permission to use a new form of an ingredient in products for infants and young children. [ + ]

In response to changes since the first launch of the Code of Practice for Packaging Design, Education and Procurement, PAC.NZ has released Version 2 of the Code. [ + ]

The Australian Beverages Council has responded to the government’s announcement that it has commissioned a study into the effects of mixing alcohol and energy drinks. [ + ]

A decision on importing pineapples has prompted an argument between the federal and Queensland Ministers for Agriculture, with John McVeigh calling Joe Ludwig a “coward” and Ludwig accusing McVeigh of failing to understand Australia’s biosecurity system. [ + ]

Researchers at Swinburne University of Technology are working to develop early detection of Campylobacter jejuni bacteria - a significant contributor to foodborne illness in Australia and around the world. [ + ]

PAC.NZ has released the Year Two Progress Report for its Packaging Product Stewardship Scheme, which reports a second year of success for the scheme. [ + ]

The New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries has released a revised and updated information booklet for the food industry - A Guide to Calculating the Shelf-Life of Foods. [ + ]

UK food and drink manufacturers have smashed apprenticeship targets for 2012, tripling the number of apprenticeships across the industry. [ + ]

Brambles Limited has signed a sale and purchase agreement to acquire Pallecon, a leading provider of intermediate bulk container (IBC) solutions in Europe and the Asia-Pacific, for €135 million. [ + ]

Importers who comply with biosecurity requirements can have their goods released up to 100 times more quickly than those who don’t comply, DAFF has said. [ + ]

New Zealand and the US have signed a Food Safety Systems Recognition Arrangement - a document signifying that each country recognises the other’s food safety systems as providing a comparable degree of food safety assurance. [ + ]

One of southern Queensland’s biggest meat manufacturers has received a $6.2 million grant to invest in clean technology to improve its production efficiency and cut energy costs in its operations. [ + ]

A team of researchers from the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science has developed a lightweight smartphone attachment that can detect allergens in food samples. [ + ]

The Australian Food and Grocery Council has commented on the Northern Territory Container Deposit Scheme, arguing that beverage companies need certainty regarding their ongoing legal obligations. [ + ]