Big manufacturers named and shamed for salt-reduction compliance
22 September, 2014Salt levels in bread and breakfast cereals have improved but processed meats still have a long way to go, according to the Australian Government's Food and Health Dialogue.
Coca-Cola UK to adopt front-of-pack labelling
19 September, 2014Coca-Cola Great Britain has announced it will adopt a governmental front-of-pack nutrition labelling scheme, which will include nutrient amounts and colour-coded sections displaying how much sugar and energy the product contains.
Marketing functional foods in Australia - how to navigate the rules on health and therapeutic claims
18 September, 2014 by Frances Wheelahan (Partner, Corrs Chambers Westgarth) and Virginia Burns (Associate, Corrs Chambers Westgarth)Australia's demand for functional foods is growing rapidly and there are many opportunities for businesses wishing to market these foods in Australia. However, the formulation, advertising and labelling of these foods is heavily regulated and care must be taken to comply with food and therapeutic goods laws.
Comment invited on GM E. coli chicken vaccine
17 September, 2014The Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) is calling for comment on the proposed commercial release of a genetically modified E. coli chicken vaccine.
NZ MPI releases guidance document on determining the shelf-life of food
15 September, 2014The NZ Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has released the How to Determine the Shelf Life of Food document. The document replaces the 2005 Information Booklet for the Food Industry - A Guide to Calculating Shelf Life of Foods.
New online system for imported cargo documentation
11 September, 2014A new online system for lodging imported cargo documentation is set to save commercial importers and customs brokers time and money, the Department of Agriculture says.
Illegally imported pork labelled as fish
11 September, 2014A Perth import business has been fined more than $50,000 for illegally importing pork products labelled as fish from Taiwan. The importer reportedly concealed the products among other imported goods as he knew the product is prohibited in Australia.
Soy sauce importer cuts red tape with compliance agreement
10 September, 2014Kikkoman Australia has become the most recent Australian importer to sign a Food Import Compliance Agreement with the Department of Agriculture. The agreement will enable the company to access special import agreements.
Advertising Standards Bureau finds Devondale milk ad is 'racist'
10 September, 2014A complaint against a 15-second television commercial for Devondale milk has been upheld by the Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB), which found that the commercial vilified a man of Asian background and Asian business generally.
Fonterra commended for progress on inquiry recommendations
08 September, 2014Fonterra has been commended for its implementation of improvements after last year's recall of whey protein concentrate WPC80.
First probiotic listed in Food Chemicals Codex
08 September, 2014The first probiotic has had a monograph published in the FCC. This means that there are now strain-specific standards for testing the identity, concentration and purity of the GanedenBC30 (Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086) probiotic.
Australia's food traceability scored as 'average' in OECD review
02 September, 2014European Union countries rank higher than the rest of the world in terms of global food traceability regulations and requirements, a report has found. The report evaluates and compares the traceability regulations of 21 OECD countries.
Contributions invited on Imported Food Inspection Scheme audit
01 September, 2014The Department of Agriculture's administration of the Imported Food Inspection Scheme is being audited by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO).
Submissions invited on fruit and veg irradiation application
28 August, 2014Do you feel strongly one way or another about irradiation of fruit and vegetables? Submissions are being welcomed on an application to permit the irradiation of 12 specific fruits and vegetables.
Celery and carrot industries under threat: quarantine starts in October
26 August, 2014Australia will implement emergency quarantine measures from 20 October 2014 to protect the carrot and celery industries from an exotic bacterial pathogen that has become widespread in Europe.
