It’s tna’s birthday - but the company is giving out the presents. As a way of thanking its customers, suppliers and staff, the company has launched a multiplatform competition with the top prize being a $5000 diamond. [ + ]

CSIRO researcher Dr Peter Dodds is developing synthetic rust resistance genes that that could help protect cereal crops from damage by rust diseases. It’s estimated that rust fungi has the potential to cause up to $300 million in losses to the Australian wheat industry each year. [ + ]

Unpackaged beef, sheep and chicken meat could soon be required to have country of origin labelling. Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has approved a proposal to extend country of origin labelling to some unpackaged meats. [ + ]

Reactive, Australia’s largest independent digital agency and Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) have won the judges’ Webby Award in the category of ‘Mobile & Apps - Lifestyle’ for the Beef Essentials iPhone app. [ + ]

A world authority on food safety, CSIRO leaders, a maverick politician and a food additive lobbyist: these are some of the speakers at the upcoming 45th Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology (AIFST) Conference. With a theme of ‘Reap the Rewards’, the conference will be held in Adelaide from 15-18 July. [ + ]

2012-13 will be a good year for grape production, according to a recent report released by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES). [ + ]

To help the banana industry achieve its aim of a 5% increase in production efficiency “with minimal to no environmental impact” by 2014, researchers are launching a $6 million research project. A Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) research team, led by principal research scientist Associate Professor Andre Drenth, will spearhead the Banana Plant Protection Program. [ + ]

interpack has organised PACK PLUS, a special exhibition devoted to the topic of package printing that will be staged at drupa, from 3 to 16 May in Düsseldorf. [ + ]

Warequip has launched a website (palletlifting.com.au) which is designed “to aid its distributors in helping customers get the right product while improving revenue and profits”. [ + ]

The Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) Victoria Branch, in conjunction with LATMA, will be holding a technical dinner on 2 May with keynote speakers from GS1 Australia and David Simpson Graphics. [ + ]

Tetra Pak has acquired the business of Sealing Technology Ltd, enabling Tetra Pak to offer customers a complete solution for post-gassing and heat-sealing technology for bulk powder packing. [ + ]

Swiss engineers have developed a new formula for microsilver that could benefit the healthcare and food industries. Antibiotics and chemicals are generally used to combat mites, fungi, viruses and bacteria, and especially E. coli in the food industry, but with the rise of antibiotic-resistant strains, demand for antibiotic- and chemical-free solutions has increased. [ + ]

Research indicating that bite size is affected by aroma offers a new approach to controlling portion size. [ + ]

Front-of-pack (FOP) food labelling is a hot topic in New Zealand at the moment, with new research from the University of Otago and University of Auckland showing that industry, policy-makers and NGOs think food labelling should be improved. [ + ]

UPM Raflatac has been granted FSC and PEFC chain of custody certificates for its labelstock operations in Australia and New Zealand. The chain of custody certifications guarantee that the wood used in UPM Raflatac’s label materials originates from sustainably managed forests.