Five City Supermarket stores across Shanghai are staging ‘Flavours of Australia – the Australian Food & Beverage Festival’ from 20 October - 5 November, part of the broader Celebrate Australia, Australian Style package of events organised by Austrade and the Australian Consulate General.

The Premier of Victoria, the Hon Steve Bracks has announced the winners of the 2006 Premier’s Food Victoria Awards.

Formrite Group has announced that it is the exclusive distributor for Plantic in NSW. The partnership aims to supply NSW companies with environmentally friendly packaging.

Matcon Pacific has announced that it is changing the way it operates across ANZ. Whereas it previously sold directly, its now looking for agents in Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia.

The Australian Institute of Packaging invites you to come and hear its guests deliver expert commentary on the global retail landscape, the future of FMCG manufacturing, and the trends and strategies being employed by the largest retailers in the world.

RFID won’t go away and is impacting on supply chains and packaging automation. To find out more, attend the AIP NSW October Business over Breakfast which will be held 26 October in Sydney at the Oatlands Golf Course Club House.

The Sensory Seminar is a one-day conference to be held 25 October in Sydney which aims at strategic marketing, brand/product management, consumer insights/research, business development, creative/design and packaging, innovation and R&D.

A breakthrough in the production of biofuels has been developed by scientists in Germany. Research published in the September 2006 issue of Microbiology, described how specially engineered bacteria could be used to make fuel completely from food crops.

A campaign born of cooperation between five Australian states has improved the health and safety of workers at Australia’s wine manufacturers.

CSIRO is working towards the 'smart farm' of the future with research focusing on wireless sensor networks (WSNs) and their potential to transform the Australian agriculture industry.

Beckhoff Automation has opened an Australian headquarters in Melbourne to bring its international presence to more than 60 companies worldwide.

Victoria's status as the capital of the nation's dairy industry will be further enhanced with the opening of a new dairy innovation centre designed to place Australia at the forefront of world dairying innovation and thinking.

Understanding the market can quadruple the chances of a successful product launch according to Dr Ad Juriaanse, from food research company NIZO.

Secrecy in food R&D will spell market failure for some players, Dr Ad Juriaanse, NIZO food scientist, has warned Australian dairy manufacturers.

Amcor (Packaging) Australia has entered into an Oxbar patent licence agreement with Constar International, under which Amcor will be able to supply its Australian and New Zealand customers with PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles that have enhanced oxygen-scavenger protection.