The Australian Brewery Association has spoken out in opposition to the proposed national container deposit scheme, suggesting it unfairly puts pressure on beverage producers and consumers. [ + ]

Quinn glass will relaunch its specialist bottling division, rebranding its bottling arm as Cobevco. The division will bottle beverages that are bulk imported into the UK, as well as those produced domestically. [ + ]

FSANZ has released consultation papers on proposed cost recovery arrangements for health claims applications and proposed changes to its Application Handbook. [ + ]

Broadcast on Radio National’s Bush Telegraph program, the inaugural AgTalks event will ponder the topic ‘Australians don’t care where their food comes from, as long as it’s cheap and looks good’. [ + ]

Spice allergies are on the rise, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. With the increasing use of spices in the American diet and cosmetics, allergists anticipate more Americans will succumb to these allergies. [ + ]

To boost self-control, gargle sugar water. According to a University of Georgia professor of psychology, a mouth rinse with glucose improves self-control. [ + ]

The percentage of the world’s population aged 60 and over will reach 22% by 2050, presenting both challenges and opportunities for the food industry. Leatherhead’s new report discusses both. [ + ]

The Electrical Trades Union says investigations reveal ongoing issues in some of Queensland’s major food-production factories. [ + ]

A West Australian salad processor has been fined $40,000, plus $12,000 costs, after one of its employees had two fingers amputated when opening a belt slicer. [ + ]

Recent research has shown that consumers have a strong preference for clear plastic clamshell packaging over printed cardboard boxes, with 402% more purchases recorded for clamshells. [ + ]

A team of researchers has determined that consumers are not getting all the information they need to make informed decisions about fish consumption. [ + ]

The use of fenthion on a number of food crops has been restricted due to potential short-term dietary risks. It has also been prohibited for use on specific fruits and vegetables. [ + ]

Increasing the use of water recycling in food production and manufacturing is among new research being undertaken by the Australian Water Recycling Centre of Excellence. [ + ]

The opening of the Victorian Centre for Sustainable Chemical Manufacturing is expected to boost green manufacturing in the food, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. [ + ]

A new method described in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry is said to be able to determine whether specialty cheeses are true to label. [ + ]