The outlook for the seafood sector is bright, with continued growth in seafood consumption both in Australia and overseas providing new markets and opportunities for Australian producers.

A new consortium is to undertake the largest-ever metagenomics study and unlock food safety insights across the supply chain. [ + ]

Norovirus, the most common cause of viral gastroenteritis in humans, is claimed to affect around 267 million people worldwide and cause over 200,000 deaths annually. [ + ]

"I don't think most people are aware of the amount of work that goes into ensuring that the food they eat is safe," said John O'Brien, Head of the Food Safety and Integrity Research Programme at Nestlé's international research centre. "It's only when something goes wrong that they sit up and take notice." [ + ]

Food safety today is taking centre stage with the spotlight clearly beaming down on the need for an unequivocal, standard practice across the entire food sector. The recent 2015 frozen berries case is not the first food safety incident of its kind and it won't be the last. [ + ]

One of the most intriguing features in the history of packaging has been the use of metal, the most striking application being that of the food can. At a time when plastic materials have been used in every conceivable format, the can has kept its place as a reliable and trustworthy pack and retained the confidence of consumers. [ + ]

Assuming that package design is a straightforward process can compromise a company's brand, supply chain and even financials. The team from Studio One Eleven outlines the common pitfalls they've encountered - and tips for avoiding them.

The winners of the 2015 APPMA Industry Excellence Awards were announced to a crowd of 380 at the Crown Towers on 25 March. The biennial awards are designed to recognise innovative and outstanding packaging and processing solutions. [ + ]

The Australian Packaging and Processing Machinery Association (APPMA) has announced the finalists for the 2015 Best New Product Award.

Meat contains some important nutrients, but it's not essential for a healthy diet. Many people, especially men in Western countries are, on average, eating too much of it. Despite vested interests that wish to maintain this status quo, which prevails in most Western countries, there are very good reasons to curb your meat consumption. [ + ]

In a bid to reduce the amount of wastewater produced in food processing, Fraunhofer UMSICHT has launched the BioSuck project that uses vacuum technology to suction off non-edible waste. The captured waste can be recycled or converted into energy.

4000 kg of counterfeit strawberries and 275,000 litres of drinks were only part of the haul of fake and sub-standard food seized in a recent INTERPOL and Europol operation. [ + ]

4000 kg of counterfeit strawberries and 275,000 litres of drinks were only part of the haul of fake and sub-standard food seized in a recent INTERPOL and Europol operation.

Halal food certification in Australia has become a contentious issue. [ + ]

There are no manned forklift trucks driving about loading truck trailers with boxes of chips at PepsiCo's Broek op Langedijk site in the Netherlands. Instead, the recently installed Joloda loading system saves 30 minutes/load as it pushes 42 pallets of chips into an extra-long truck in one fully automated operation. [ + ]