Members of the Australian Institute of Packaging in Victoria recently volunteered at Foodbank Yarraville to pack approximately 18,268 meals for the community. [ + ]

The electronic smart packaging market is expected to reach $1.8 billion in 2029, and almost 39 billion packages sold may be enhanced by an electronic feature, according to IDTechEx research. [ + ]

AUSPACK 2019, which wrapped up in Melbourne at the end of March, has been hailed as a success, with a 25% increase in the number of visitors to nearly 8000. [ + ]

Lifestyle beverage brand H2coco beat out 20 other finalists to take home the manufacturing award at the 2019 Australian Small Business Champion Awards. [ + ]

The Food Safety Information Council has warned people not to pick or eat any wild mushrooms after eight people were recently hospitalised in NSW due to wild mushroom poisoning. [ + ]

Using an updated dairy nutrition model, Cornell researchers found farmers can feed cows less protein, maintain a cow's milk-production output and reduce nitrogen in the manure. [ + ]

WF Media has partnered with Diversified Communications for their upcoming food and beverage manufacturing industry event in Queensland, FoodTech Qld. [ + ]

Numerous companies and individuals have been announced as finalists for the 2019 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design Awards (PIDA). [ + ]

Scientists have developed a model that predicts which photosynthetic manipulations to plants will boost the yields of wheat and sorghum crops, which will help feed a rapidly growing world population. [ + ]

Australian farmers are set to be better protected from potential attacks from activists with the Aussie Farms Incorporated website now listed under the Privacy Act. [ + ]

Researchers are calling for stricter regulations on food product labelling and marketing in the children's food market to avoid confusion and reduce the rising rates of childhood obesity. [ + ]

The Queensland Government is providing over $12.1 million to the banana industry over five years to help control and contain Panama disease tropical race 4 (TR4). [ + ]

Biosecurity New Zealand and Citrus New Zealand will undertake a joint three-year program of work to better protect the citrus industry from biosecurity threats. [ + ]

A soil-monitoring sensor that mimics the way plants detect nutrients through their roots is being developed by a QUT researcher to help farmers reduce their reliance on over-fertilisation. [ + ]

Home-grown lettuce may soon be available in IKEA Sweden restaurants, after the company announced it is harvesting its own lettuce as part of a sustainability initiative. [ + ]